4 Investigation: APS changes agreement with city after sex offender arrested in schools

Agreement allowing city violence intervention program to operate in Albuquerque public schools changed after four investigations found sex offender visited half-dozen schools .

Nearly 10 months ago, Mayor Tim Keller presented his pitch to the Albuquerque School Board to expand the School Violence Intervention Program (SB VIP). The program allowed school staff to refer at-risk students to city officials under SB-VIP.

With parental permission, students would be enrolled in the program to help them understand consequences, responsibility and how to attempt to interrupt cycles of violence.

Following our investigation, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the municipal administration and the APS increased from three pages to 17 pages. It added language requiring fingerprinting for “contractors and guest speakers.”

When 4 investigators presented evidence that a sex offender had attended several APS schools as a guest speaker while working for the City of Albuquerque as a contractor, APS did not ” no comments.”

Following changes to the memorandum of understanding, 4 investigators pushed to speak with either elected members of the APS school board or new superintendent Gabriella Blakey.

An APS spokesperson told us the school board focuses on overall plans while Superintendent Blakey focuses on operations. Blakey is also responsible for student operations and safety.

We have repeatedly requested the opportunity to interview Superintendent Blakey regarding changes to the MOU and the continued operation of the City’s School Violence Intervention Program. We were refused.

First results of the SB VIP

The city has expanded its school violence intervention program. West Mesa High School was the only school to offer routine programs for SB-VIP until this year. Atrisco Heritage Academy High School now offers SB VIP to students. Currently, 35 students are enrolled in the two schools.

The City of Albuquerque provided statistics showing early improvements among West Mesa students:

• 80% of students referred to the program received permission from their parents to participate.
• Overall GPAs increased for participants.
• Since implementation in 2021-2022, student suspensions at WMHS have decreased by 40%.

We have not had the opportunity to ask Superintendent Blakey whether this program has her full support.

Instead, we asked APS spokesperson Martin Salazar if he believed it.

“I think it’s a very good program. Again, we need to do something as a community to address the violence we see every day,” Salazar said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brn3yetlwSo