Delaware
More fallout from bogus degree of Del. school therapist charged with child rape
No action after hospital psychologist questioned credentials
Arnold’s arrest also spurred Brandywine to re-examine his nearly three years with the district.
Officials learned that two months before Arnold’s arrest, a psychologist at Nemours Children’s Hospital near Wilmington had alerted four administrators from Lombardy and the Brandywine district that the qualifications Arnold claimed might be bogus.
The district launched an investigation in July and suspended the four officials with pay while an outside attorney reviewed the matter. The four officials included Lombardy principal Michael McDermott, assistant principal Cara Beach, and Nicole Warner, district director of special education, WHYY News has learned from officials familiar with the matter.
Brandywine Superintendent Lisa Lawson, who was promoted from deputy superintendent days before Arnold’s arrest, told WHYY News earlier this month that officials made serious missteps, such as not notifying human resources officials about the Nemours complaints.
Beyond questioning Arnold’s credentials, the Nemours psychologist told Brandywine that Arnold had been confrontational with a hospital intern after insisting, even though he was not a licensed psychologist, that a young boy he was counseling had a mood disorder, Lawson told WHYY News. The hospital had diagnosed the child with autism.
Yet none of Nemours’ concerns reached Brandywine’s HR office, or Lawson herself, she said.
At Brandywine’s board meeting last week, members discussed the actions of the four employees behind closed doors in executive session, and later approved the district’s disciplinary recommendations at the public session.
Though the board didn’t name names and merely voted to “approve employee matter” 25-005, 25-006, 25-007, and 25-008, sources familiar with the matter said the members voted to terminate Warner, whose old post has been filled on an interim basis by Josette McCullough.
The sources said the board voted to dock pay fromMcDermott and Beach, who are back at work running Lombardy, where classes started Monday. The district took no action against the fourth, unidentified employee.
Lawson would not confirm who was disciplined.
“What I can say is that, based on the third party investigator’s recommendation for disciplinary consequences, we moved forward accordingly based on those recommendations,’’ Lawson said Monday.
Lawson added that employees have 10 days to request a hearing on the district’s decisions.
The superintendent also said Arnold was fired in July and could have sought a hearing from prison, but did not. No date for his criminal trial has been set.
Before the board vote, Lawson apologized and expressed her “deep regret” to members and the public about the district’s mishandling of the Nemours complaint.
She promised “accountability for those actions” as well as “consistent and fair consequences for all employees.”
Lawson also said the district would be “revisiting our hiring processes in collaboration’’ with the state, enhancing training on “ethical conduct and students safety, and creating more robust channels for reporting concerns directly to human resources.”
A former Delaware and Maryland police officer was charged with rape following a sexual assault investigation, according to the Delaware State Police.
On May 5, William Paskey, 33, was arrested and charged with second-degree rape after officials said he sexually assaulted a woman he met on an online dating app in 2022.
The investigation began in May 2025, when the Delaware State Police Troop 3 Criminal Investigations Unit began looking into allegations against Paskey.
According to officials, detectives learned that in September 2022, Paskey met the victim on a dating app anad invited her to his home in Harrington, Delaware. The woman told investigators that during the date, Paskey became aggressive and engaged in nonconsensual acts with her, refusing her multiple requests to stop.
Troopers said Paskey was employed as a law enforcement officer at the time of the incident, but was not on duty.
After consulting with the Delaware Department of Justice, troopers obtained a warrant for Paskey’s arrest.
The man was released after posting a $20,000 secured bond, officials said.
According to the Delaware State Police, between 2014 and 2021, Paskey worked for several police departments in Delaware, including the Dagsboro, Ellendale and Blades police departments. Most recently, Paskely worked as a police officer for the Town of Ridgely Police Department in Maryland.
Detectives believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone with information or who may be a victim to please contact Sergeant P. Taylor by calling (302) 698-8547. Information may also be provided by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Slithery intruder makes appearance on beach
A huge snake was spotted making its way across the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. Luckily, the reptile was not venomous.
It could be one of your worst nightmares.
You’re enjoying a summer day in the water when you feel something brush past your leg. You turn, and there’s a snake.
While the chances of that scenario playing out are highly unlikely, there is a good chance the waters you enjoy playing in are also inhabited by snakes.
The danger level might not be as high as Florida’s, but it’s still something to be aware of when you go into the outdoors.
Here’s a look at the snake-infested lakes and ponds in Delaware, according to worldatlas.com.
Nanticoke River
The Nanticoke River runs 64 miles from southern Delaware to the Chesapeake Bay, winding through marshlands, forests, and farmland along the way. The habitat is perfect for the Northern watersnake. The snakes are nonvenomous, but they will defensively strike if you corner them or try to hold them.
The Brandywine
This is where you need to be very careful. The Eastern copperhead is a confirmed and documented presence, and a small group exists at Alapocas Run State Park along the water near Wilmington. The snakes won’t chase you, but if you step too close or don’t see them, they will strike. You should watch your step near log piles and rocky outcrops.
Millsboro Pond
Millsboro Pond is the home to perch, black crappie and frogs, which is the perfect food for snakes including northern water snakes, plain-bellied water snakes, queen snakes and common ribbon snakes.
The Eastern copperhead lives in southern Sussex County, which includes the pond. However, sightings are rare. It’s something to watch out for when you are at the pond.
Lums Pond
The pond, located in Lums Pond State Park, has numerous varieties of snakes. However, the inlets and small islands are perfect for northern water snakes to bask in the sun. The snakes thrive on fish and amphibians and benefit from the surrounding forest and wetlands.
One snake to watch for is the ringneck snake. It has a mild venom and its teeth have trouble puncturing human skin, but for those with venom allergies, you should treat it like any other venomous species.
Trap Pond
Trap Pond, located in Trap Pond State Park, is noted for its cypress swamp. The bald cypress trees and the tree’s root structure provide a great hiding place and basking spot for eastern garter snakes and northern water snakes.
Silver Lake
Located in Dover, Silver Lake is lined with trees and vegetation, making it a great place for snakes. The northern water snake is seen here, but eastern kingsnakes are also occasionally seen in the wooded areas of the lake.
Garrison Lake
Garrison Lake is a popular spot in Kent County for fishing and boating. The marshy areas and dense vegetation are perfect habitats for northern water snakes, eastern garter snakes and eastern rat snakes. The wetlands are attractive to snakes due to the abundance of prey and the availability of cover.
Red Mills Pond
Red Mills Pond, located near Lewes, has a rich biodiversity supporting numerous amphibians and small mammals, which attract snakes. Among the snakes you may see in and around the pond are the northern water snake, eastern ribbon snake and eastern ribbon snake.
Del lawmakers discuss bill requiring teachers work with valid licenses
The bill is a response to revelations a school therapist fabricated his credentials before he was charged with sexual abuse of a child.
Delaware Online/The News Journal won the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism for its reporting revealing hundreds of invalid teacher licenses in Delaware.
The work by reporters Kelly Powers and Esteban Parra led to lawmakers proposing a bill that would tighten licensing requirements for public school employees and penalize districts that retain unlicensed staff.
The judges cited the work for “meticulous and thorough reporting” and “a fair and balanced presentation of the situation.”
The A‑Mark prize honors excellence in watchdog and accountability reporting. It is backed by The A‑Mark Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit supporting investigative and unbiased social‑issue journalism, in partnership with the Maryland‑Delaware‑DC Press Association.
“The reporting from Kelly Powers and Esteban Parra reflects the very best of investigative journalism in Delaware – thorough, fair and impactful,’’ said Mike Feeley, executive editor of The News Journal and Delaware Online. “We are proud to see their work awarded with the inaugural A-Mark Prize in a highly competitive field.
“I congratulate all of Delaware Online’s award winners in this year’s MDDC Awards for their commitment to journalism that strengthens our communities,’’ Feeley said.
Delaware Online/The News Journal won a total of 18 awards May 8 at the MDDC Press Association’s annual conference.
The MDDC Awards recognizes news publications from Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. For each category, a first- and second-place winner is chosen based on circulation divisions. A part of the largest-circulation division, Delaware Online/The News Journal competes against news sites like the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Banner and Washington Post.
Here is the list of winners, with links to the stories that took home the prizes.
Best of Show
- News-Driven Art or Illustration: Luis Solano, “American’s deadliest habit”
First Place
Second Place
- Feature Story: Non-Profile: Xerxes Wilson, “Why this Delaware prison is making tattooing part of its educational programming”
- Sports Feature Story: Brandon Holveck, Martin Frank, “Eagles’ Saquon Barkley’s historic season built on selflessness, generational athleticism”
- Local Column: Critical Thinking: Xerxes Wilson, “Broken bones, brick walls and searching for accountability”
- Sports Photo (Feature): Benjamin Chambers, “Delaware wins 61-31 against UTEP in Conference USA regular season finale”
- Public Service Reporting: Krys’tal Griffin, “While these Delaware riders depend on Paratransit, the service still lags post-pandemic”
- Breaking News: The News Journal staff, “Delaware State trooper killed by shooter prevented other deaths, state officials say”
- News Page Design: Luis Solano, “American’s deadliest habit”
- Page 1 Design: Stephanie Lindholm, “Musical haven in Delaware”
- Continuing Reporting: Kelly Powers, Shane Brennan, “Your property taxes are changing. What Delaware homeowners should know about new laws”
- General Website Excellence, The News Journal
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