A lack of clear understanding by school administrators about what constitutes grooming behavior was a key factor in the case of a former Baltimore County teacher who went on to teach at two Catholic schools despite a history of misconduct; that’s according to an investigative report from the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education.
In 2022, Mark Planamente, 40, was charged with sexual solicitation of a minor. Last year, Planamente pleaded guilty to that charge and according to jail records is now serving a five-year sentence in Baltimore City Correctional Center. At the time of his arrest, Planamente was teaching at Sisters Academy of Baltimore, a Catholic school for late elementary and middle school girls in Southwest Baltimore.
He had previously served as a teacher at The Catholic High School of Baltimore and before that, in Baltimore County Public Schools. Planamente was found to have a history of inappropriate communications with students at both schools.
