Randi W. was a 13-year-old minor who attended the Livingston Middle School where Robert Gadams served as vice principal. On February 1, 1992, while Randi was in Gadams's office, Gadams sexually molested Randi.

Gadams had previously been employed at the Mendota Unified School District (from 1985 to 1988). During his time of employment there, Gadams had been investigated and reprimanded for improper conduct with female junior high students, including giving them back massages, making sexual remarks to them, and being involved in "sexual situations" with them. Gilbert Rossette, an official with Mendota, provided a letter of recommendation for Gadams in May 1990. The letter was part of Gadams's placement file at Fresno Pacific College, where he had received his teaching credentials. The recommendation was extensive and referred to Gadams's "genuine concern" for students and his "outstanding rapport" with everyone, and concluded, "I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mr. Gadams for any position." Gadams had also previously been employed at the Tranquility High School District and Golden Plains Unified District (1987-1990). Richard Cole, an administrator at Golden Plains, also provided a letter of recommendation for the Fresno placement file that listed Gadams's "favorable" qualities and concluded that Cole "would recommend him for almost any administrative position he wishes to pursue." Cole knew at the time he provided the recommendation that Gadams had been the subject of various parents' complaints, including that he "led a panty raid, made sexual overtures to students, [and made] sexual remarks to students." Cole also knew that Gadams had resigned under pressure because of these sexual misconduct charges. Gadams's last place of employment (1990-1991) before Livingston was Muroc Unified School District, where disciplinary actions were taken against him for sexual harassment. When allegations of "sexual touching" of female students were made, Gadams was forced to resign from Muroc. Nonetheless, Gary Rice and David Malcolm, officials at Muroc, provided a letter of recommendation for Gadams that described him as "an upbeat, enthusiastic administrator who relates well to the students" and who was responsible "in large part" for making Boron Junior High School (located in Muroc) "a safe, orderly and clean environment for students and staff." The letter concluded that they recommended Gadams "for an assistant principalship or equivalent position without reservation.........

 Discussion Questions
1. If you were a former administrator to whom Gadams reported, what kind of recommendation would you give?
2. Should the previous administrators have done something about Gadams prior to being placed in this dilemma?
3. Do administrators owe their loyalty to employees? To students? To the school district? To the parents?
4. Is this type of recommendation commonly given to get rid of employees?
5. Should friendship have a higher value than honesty?
6. Why do you think the administrators said nothing?