Ex-school consultant says district knew her criminal past

PORTLAND – Deborah Wolfenden said Thursday that she deliberately ended her contract with the South Portland school district after her criminal background came to light.

“I was not fired,” Wolfenden told WCSH-TV. “I terminated my contract willfully.”

Wolfenden also said she has no doubt that school officials were aware of her 1992 assault conviction in connection with the death of her 4-year-old foster son when they hired her three years ago as a special education consultant.

She said she made a point of asking Kathy Fries, who was then the school district’s special education director, whether officials knew of her background.

“I was assured at that point that a very frank professional, ethical discussion was indeed had by Kathy Fries, the then superintendent and another individual within the administrative office,” Wolfenden said.

Neither Fries nor Reginald MacDonald, who was then the superintendent, could be reached for comment.

Wolfenden said no one ever raised the question of whether she had to be fingerprinted or undergo a criminal background check, and she was unaware that the teacher fingerprinting law applied to independent contractors.

She said she never concealed her past and suggested that any such attempt would be fruitless.

“Given the daily media exposure that I had for such a prolonged time,” she said, she cannot imagine that anyone would think “that I could sneak in somewhere and do something.”

Wolfenden was acquitted of manslaughter and aggravated assault, but was found guilty of assault and served a year in prison. Evidence at her trial indicated that she spanked Ricky LeTourneau excessively and raked his genital area with her nails after he urinated on the floor.

Ricky died after Wolfenden pushed him into his bedroom. He suffered a concussion and choked on his vomit. Medical examiners found more than 100 bruises and lacerations on the dead child’s body.

Wolfenden said she always knew that the widely publicized case would remain in people’s memories.

“I recognized 15 years ago that it would never be over for me,” she said.

After she left the South Portland job early this month, state education workers began interviewing school officials to determine the circumstances regarding her placement in the school.