Potential to Put Children at Risk

Contractors like Sodexo have no higher responsibility than keeping the clients and the people they serve safe.

But rather than maintaining low turnover and adequate staffing levels, Sodexo instead depends on temporary staff. This has the potential to put school children at risk, particularly when coupled with a dangerous tendency to neglect required background checks.

Batavia, IL

In Batavia, IL, a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old worked three days in the district. Despite their obligation to do so, Sodexo had not conducted a background check on this temporary worker who came from a firm they used for 2 to 3 substitute workers each day.

The man was caught after secretaries at the middle school noticed he was reluctant to sign in at the school and acted suspiciously. Batavia police ran his name, and it came up as a registered sex offender.

Beaufort, SC

In Beaufort, SC, a security check completed by the school district in November of 2006 indicated that Sodexo's custodial staff included eight felons.

Later, in 2008, two similar security checks indicated that Sodexo's custodial staff (including subcontracted Mazzanna employees) included four individuals with confirmed misdemeanor or felony charges, including one worker that had committed two felonies.

Globally

In England, a woman hired to work for Sodexo through a temporary agency walked off the job in horror after realizing that - despite close contact with children - no one had run a background check before placing her in a private boarding school. "As much as I am looking for work, there seemed to be so much wrong with the situation that I just thought it wasn't worth it," she said.

Falling Short at Keeping Buildings Secured

Sodexo has fallen short on the most basic component of every school's plan to minimize risk - ensuring that school buildings are secured properly:

New Orleans, LA

In New Orleans, LA, Sodexo has been slow in responding to a number of maintenance request - including broken windows and doors - according to some school officials, which could create security risks in the schools:

• At Clark High School, the doors to the gym were not secure, and an administrator indicated that he asked for these doors to be fixed. The school administrator reporting the problem was angered by the Sodexo manager's inattentive response, particularly in light of the assertion that the doors had been in need of repair for months and were a safety issue.
• At Schaumburg school, there was a request for a window to be fixed, which had been made several weeks in a row with no resolution. The window had been broken and the room vandalized and cardboard was placed over it.
• At Carver High School, a request for door repair or replacement had been reported several times before Sodexo investigated the situation.
• At McDonough 35 High School, a group of cheerleaders entered the school without adult supervision by entering through the back door by the gym. The door was misaligned with the frame and did not close properly without being lifted into place.

Abilene, TX

In Abilene, TX, several complaints about Sodexo's work centered on failure to lock up school buildings or rooms - sometimes with expensive equipment or confidential student documents:

• Staffing Issues: A complaint came through that there was no custodian present to lock or alarm a building and parents were left searching for someone to lock up after them. The lights were also left on in this building.
• Another situation occurred where a room with media equipment was left unlocked repeatedly.
• A High School Councilor reported that his office was often left open when he came in the morning after locking it when he left at night. He was concerned about private documents of students being left for the taking.
• A detailed email from Jennifer Putnam on August 29, 2007 notes multiple instances of unlocked and open classrooms raising security concerns.
• Robyn George stated that her room with expensive equipment is repeatedly left open also.