MD Schools Hired Teacher with History of Sexual Misconduct
Mark Planamente, a former teacher, has been linked to allegations of inappropriate communications with students at multiple schools in Maryland for over a decade. His sexual misconduct within the Maryland school system went unchecked and allowed for ten years.
He was hired by several Maryland schools, including Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), the Catholic High School of Baltimore, and Sisters Academy of Baltimore, even after numerous reports of misconduct.
Public and private schools have a fundamental responsibility to protect the safety of all students. Parents trust that when their children go to school, they will be in a safe environment, free from harm by staff members with histories of misconduct.
If you or someone you know was sexually abused as a minor by a teacher or school staff member in Maryland, you are not alone. The sexual abuse attorneys at The Yost Legal Group are here to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse seek justice.
We are committed to holding negligent institutions accountable and helping survivors secure the compensation they deserve. If you were sexually abused in a public school or sexually abused by a teacher, seek legal representation.
Contact The Yost Legal Group today for a free, confidential consultation. Call or text us at 410-659-6800. Our experienced legal team is here to support you.
Maryland Schools Criticized for Weak Safeguards Against Grooming
An alarming report from the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education highlights failures within Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) and several private schools in the Baltimore area.
The July 2024 report revealed systemic issues, including a clear definition of “grooming,” insufficient guidelines, and inadequate standardized training for conducting background checks.
These gaps created a dangerous environment that enabled individuals like teacher Mark Planamente to pose a risk to students.
While the Inspector General did not fault specific schools, the system still allowed this individual to “slip through the cracks,” as noted by the Baltimore Sun.
Grooming, as outlined in Maryland law (Md. Code, Educ. 6-113.1), is identified as “Sexual misconduct means an act by an adult, including an oral, nonverbal, written, or electronic communication, or a physical activity directed toward or with a minor that is designed to promote a romantic or sexual relationship with the minor.”
A Timeline of Grooming Allegations Against Mark Planamente
August 2006 to January 2015
According to the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education’s (OIGE) findings (read the entire document here) and as reported by The Baltimore Sun and CBS News, Mark Planamente got his first job with BCPS in August of 2006.
The first reported incident the OIGE investigation found was from October 2014, when a student’s mother asked the school to terminate Mr. Planamente. The mother found a message from Planamente on her daughter’s Twitter account. He asked his student if she “had a crush on him.”
Despite the mother’s protestations and the clear evidence of inappropriate direct message communications with a minor, the school did not fire Planamente. Instead, it allowed him to resign in January 2015.
July 2016 to early November 2021
Citing the OIGE investigation, WYPR reported that Planamente secured a new job in 2016 as a substitute teacher and coach at The Catholic High School of Baltimore, a private, all-girls high school in northeast Baltimore City. The school promoted him to a full-time position in 2017.
In 2019, Maryland Code, Education Article §6-113.2 became law. As the OIGE report states, “This section required … mandatory screen processes of prospective employees who would have direct contact with minors.” The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) provides further information on the amendment.
Since the Catholic High School of Baltimore hired Planamente before the 2019 amendment, his previous incident of inappropriate communication with a minor, while employed by BCPS, was not disclosed.
Planamente worked for The Catholic High School until November 11, 2021. Earlier that month, Catholic placed him on administrative leave after allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor student surfaced.
While the school supposedly investigated the serious allegations against him, Planamente resigned.
However, according to reporting from The Baltimore Sun’s Dillon Mullan, who reached out to Catholic High for a response to OIGE’s findings, there was no investigation into Planamente’s supposed inappropriate relationship with a student.
Catholic High’s spokesperson Megan Morales said, “the school did not know of any allegations when Planamente resigned.”
Sexual abuse in schools can cause years of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Child Victims Act of Maryland removes the statute of limitations for many child molestation cases.
An experienced child sexual abuse lawyer can help you through the legal process of filing a lawsuit as a victim of sexual abuse.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse that happened in a Maryland school, The Yost Legal Group is here to help. We want to get you the justice you deserve. Call or text us today for a free consultation with an experienced sexual assault lawyer at 410-659-6800.
Late November 2021 to early February 2022
Spokesperson Morales said that Catholic High was unaware of any allegations against Planamente. They had not been investigating claims of sexual misconduct against him.
In the report, Morales continued:
“It is our hope that this report will result in the state defining behaviors that don’t meet the legal standard for child sexual abuse, often referred to as grooming, which schools are trained to view as red flags for possible future abusive conduct.”
The OIGE report revealed that Planamente was hired by Sisters Academy of Baltimore only three weeks after he left The Catholic High School of Baltimore. Sisters Academy is a private, all-girls middle school located in southwest Baltimore.
This time, Planamente was subject to the 2019 law requiring background checks for individuals who would have direct contact with minors.
Planamente reportedly lied on his background forms by marking “No” for questions about whether he, as the applicant, had previously been fired or asked to resign from a position for misconduct.
The OIGE report shows a systematic failure
“On November 30, 2021, Sisters Academy received the Form from Catholic High indicating a ‘yes’ response to the question regarding whether an individual had been disciplined, discharged, nonrenewed, or asked to resign from employment while allegations of child sexual abuse or sexual misconduct were pending or under investigation…”
The unnamed hiring employee at Sisters Academy told the OIGE investigator that they found the response “alarming” and contacted someone at Catholic High directly.
The Catholic High School employee relayed to the Sisters Academy employee that Planamente had been exchanging e-mails with a student that were deemed “unprofessional and inappropriate” but that there was no ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse.
Despite agreeing that the e-mails were “unprofessional and inappropriate,” the Sisters Academy employee still hired Planamente because they “faced an urgent need for teachers.”
An employee with multiple recent “red flags” should never have been placed in a position to interact directly with children. The risks are too great, and ensuring child safety must always come first.
And despite asking a student in a private message on social media if she liked him, the BCPS employee who completed the screening form for Planamente’s application to Sisters Academy checked “No” on all questions about abuse and misconduct with minors.
February 11, 2022 to present
On Friday, February 11, 2022, Mark Planamente was arrested and charged with sexual solicitation of a minor. On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, Planamente pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. The judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison with five years suspended.
Protecting Vulnerable Children: The Urgent Need for School Accountability
For nearly a decade, schools and their reporting systems failed to protect vulnerable children from harm.
The first report of grooming involving Planamente was almost 10 years ago. However, a faulty system allowed a predator to operate without restrictions. This happened in both public and private schools, despite many reports of inappropriate communication with minors.
Schools have a critical responsibility to protect their students. The recent OIGE report reveals a deeply troubling reality. One that a child predator was allowed to operate within school systems for years, continuing to interact with minors.
While the report stops short of directly assigning blame, the facts demand action. Institutions must strengthen safeguards immediately to ensure no child is at such risk again.
Speak Out Against Abuse—Your Voice Deserves to Be Heard
Protecting children requires immediate action and accountability. We must ensure that every reporting system functions effectively and that schools are held to the highest safety standards.
Parents, educators, and community members deserve answers—and steps must be taken now to ensure history does not repeat itself.
If you or a loved one was sexually abused as a minor by a Maryland school teacher or staff member, you may have a case. No matter how long ago the sexual assault or rape happened, we may be able to help you seek justice.
You have a voice, and you deserve to be heard. Contact our law firm to learn about your legal rights and how we can fight to hold your abuser accountable.
Are you ready to tell your story? Contact the compassionate childhood sexual abuse lawyers at The Yost Legal Group today.
All conversations are free and confidential. Call or text us today: 410-659-6800.
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