Law gets rid of trash

We like any piece of legislation that appeals to everyone except people who have sexually abused children.

Such is the case with House Bill 2062. Every one of Oregon’s 30 state senators or 60 representatives voted for the bill.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he will sign the bill into law. It takes effect July 1, 2010.

The bill outlaws, in public and private schools, the practice commonly, and fittingly, known as “passing the trash.”

Here’s the scenario: A teacher agrees to resign after sexually abusing a student. In exchange, the school agrees not to tell any prospective employers about the abuse.

The Oregonian newspaper, which deserves some credit for prompting the bill, last year looked into 47 such agreements in schools around the state. The newspaper also reported that during a five-year period, almost half the teachers disciplined for sexual offenses had negotiated a non-disclosure deal before quitting.

Passing the trash is one of the more egregious violations of the public trust imaginable. It should have been outlawed long ago.