VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Joseph Molineaux, the former gym teacher who worked for Virginia Beach City Public Schools for over two decades at seven schools in the district, was allowed to retire after after receiving five letters of reprimand for his behavior toward students and faculty.
Virginia Beach police arrested Molineaux, 59, on the campus of Kempsville High School in April, accusing him of making threats and having weapons in his car. Child sexual abuse material was also allegedly found in his home, including scrapbooks of pictures of underage girls.
WTKR News 3 first began looking into Molineaux's record in January 2024, and first reported the content of his reprimand letters this week.
Watch previous coverage: Former Kempsville teacher had record of 'disturbing' behavior
The letters outline how administrators remarked on his "unprofessional" and "disturbing" behavior on several occasions, and repeatedly threatened to dismiss him from his job.
The final records in Molineaux's file discuss an incident where a student reported seeing a picture of his genitals on the teacher's phone. He was allowed to retire in lieu of dismissal, the documents show.
You can read our extensive coverage on the letters of reprimand here.
Watch previous coverage: Teen recounts seeing 'private photo' on gym teacher's phone
In April, Virginia Beach police said they found multiple bladed weapons in his car when he was arrested on the grounds at Kempsville, and court documents state that just a day earlier, he sent a threatening text message about how his pet dog is keeping him from “mowing down” the school’s administration with an AK-47 (a search warrant of his home uncovered two loaded AK-style assault weapons).
Watch previous coverage: Retired teacher arrested at Kempsville with 'multiple bladed weapons' in vehicle
After several requests for comment, the district is now providing information about why Molineaux was allowed to retire.
Below is the list of questions WTKR sent to the district and their responses verbatim:
Q: With his history of documented complaints, why was he allowed to retire after the incident outside of the Kempsville Recreation Center when a student reported seeing his genitals on his phone?
A: Employees frequently choose to retire or resign from employment when they have pending disciplinary, criminal or CPS investigations. Although the School Division could choose not to accept a resignation for a limited period of time (depending on the contract status of the employee), the School Division cannot force an employee to remain employed. Dismissing or disciplining an employee can take several weeks to investigate, and then the employee may have grievance rights that could take weeks or months to complete. So, the employee will generally be able to resign or retire before the School Division can complete the disciplinary process.
The School Division does not have the right to prevent an employee from filing for retirement with VRS. VRS laws and regulations control an employee’s rights to retirement benefits. Under Code of Virginia 51.1-124.13- an employer can ask that an employee who committed a felony while performing the employee’s official duties have his VRS benefits revoked, but this is not an option for a misdemeanor. This employee did not have felony charges pending during the time that he worked for VBCPS. Therefore, VBCPS would not have the option to seek denial of his VRS eligibility.
In the Molineaux case, the employee retired in lieu of dismissal and voluntarily surrendered his teaching license to VDOE. As a precaution, VBCPS sent the teaching license and information concerning the incident that prompted the employee to retire, along with other information VBCPS had, to VDOE in case the former employee tried to have his teaching license reinstated at a later date.
Q: Why was he hired in Virginia Beach after serving time for a felony DUI conviction?**
A: The employee had a Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI in 1987 that he pled guilty to. As driving is not a requirement for teachers, the employee was not disqualified from employment based on the DUI. DUI is not a crime that disqualifies a teacher from employment under the Code of Virginia.
**Note: A letter of reprimand in Molineaux's file specifically references a DUI conviction in 1999, and reporting from The Daily Press details the incident.
Q: Who is in charge of deciding whether or not a teacher is allowed to retire? How is this decision made and who is involved?
A: Employees file for VRS retirement. VRS and the employee determine whether the employee is eligible to retire. See #1 for a further explanation.
Q: We are requesting a timeline of the various schools and positions Molineaux held while working for the Virginia Beach School District.
A:
1999-2003: Health & PE at Salem High School
2003-2004: Health & PE at Princess Anne MS
2004-2006: Special Education Teacher at Landstown HS
2006-2011: Health & PE Teacher at Landstown HS
2011-2015: Health & PE Teacher at Green Run HS
2015-2019: Health & PE Teacher at Cox HS
2019-February 2023: Health &PE Teacher at Kempsville HS
Q: Your previous responses provide little or no insight for concerned parents and members of the community. Could you please provide information to the community about what is being done to prevent predators from getting into the school system? Could you please provide more insight into what you are doing to protect students?
A: All employees undergo training each year regarding the expectations for appropriate actions with staff, students, and parents that address Title IX, harassment and discrimination, and unlawful conduct. The employee handbook is very clear in stating these expectations as well as the consequences for non-compliance.
Employees have criminal background checks done when they are employed. If an employee is subject to criminal investigations or charges or Child Protective Services Complaints during their employment with VBCPS, the employee is referred to Human Resources, where they receive due process. Depending on the nature of the charges or investigation, the employee may be terminated, placed on administrative leave until a final decision is rendered, moved to another position, or allowed to continue to work under supervision. The School Division follows all state and local employee policies and guidelines until the investigation or court proceedings are concluded. If the employee is found guilty of a crime that would prevent the employee from continuing to work for VBCPS, they are terminated. If the employee holds a license to teach, VBCPS may also take action to have the employee’s license suspended or revoked.
In summary, VBCPS recognizes the high duty of care for each student in our schools. The division has created clear staff guidelines, based on state code and local values, to ensure all employees are properly vetted before and during their tenure. We provide annual training to staff in the areas of staff-to-staff and staff-to-student interactions that align with state code and local values.
