Parkinson aims to make unauthorized student transcript changes illegal
As the grading scandal at Trezevant High School continues to unfold, state Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, wants to make sure it never happens again.
He plans to do that by making what happened at Trezevant—more than 1,000 unauthorized changes to students' transcripts—a crime.
The improper changes may have already violated the law—Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson, who is also a lawyer, said last week he believes what happened was criminal. A state investigation is underway to find out.
But Parkinson wants the law to specifically call out transcript changes, similar to how texting and driving is technically covered under distracted driving laws, but many cities and states have passed more specific legislation targeting phone use behind the wheel.
Parkinson announced Friday he will file legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly's 2018 session that would make changing a transcript without approval a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail.
"This is about protecting students," Parkinson said. "Protecting the students and protecting the integrity of the system."
On Friday, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich asked the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury to look into grade changes at Trezevant -- and if needed, at other schools.
Weirich said she will use the results of that investigation to determine if any existing laws were broken.
Although charges could be filed in the Trezevant case, Parkinson said it's important to have a law specific to falsifying transcripts.
"If there was any temptation to make adjustments without authorization, then maybe this will serve as a reminder to people to understand that’s not a good idea," Parkinson said.
The Tennessee Department of Education does not comment on pending or proposed legislation, spokeswoman Sara Gast said in an email.
State law contains a section called the "Education Truth in Reporting and Employee Protection Act of 1989" that says no one should falsely represent school data.
"There is not a criminal penalty tied to violation of this provision, but there are a variety of other penalties outlined," Gast said.
In a statement, SCS said Hopson supports "any legislative efforts or proposals designed to ensure the highest levels of accountability and oversight in relation to academic records. Falsifying grades and transcripts have a deleterious effect on our students and is wholly inconsistent with the District’s mission."
An outside investigation, done by three lawyers and an auditing firm hired by the district, released two reports Dec. 5 detailing years of grades changed without documentation and without merit. A secretary, Shirley Quinn, resigned before she could be terminated after an internal investigation in the fall of 2016. Quinn's lawyer has said Quinn was only doing what she was told and contests that she did anything wrong.
The school board this month moved to fire former Trezevant football coach Teli White, who had since moved to Melrose High before being suspended for the duration of the six-month external investigation. White retains the right to appeal.
The report from Butler Snow law firm detailed how White tracked his players' academic progress and possessed altered transcripts on his computer. But less than half of the 1,031 changes made with Quinn's computer login were on the transcripts of football players. The report acknowledged that White had no motivation to change the transcripts of non-athletes, concluding there were likely others involved.
Hopson said the district was in the process of compiling rosters of administrators and guidance counselors who worked at Trezevant between 2012-16, confirmed years when changes took place. Neither investigation that's been completed so far involved subpoena power, so many people who are no longer with the district were not interviewed.
Reach Jennifer Pignolet at jennifer.pignolet@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @JenPignolet.