Former Unit 5 elementary school teacher Jon White apologized in Champaign County court before being sentenced Friday to 48 years in prison for the sexual abuse of eight children.

That apology was not enough and neither would an apology be enough to excuse Unit 5 officials for the glowing recommendation they provided to White when he was asked to leave one of that district's schools in April 2005.

That positive letter was part of an agreement to get White's resignation without going through formal dismissal proceedings.

In other words, Unit 5 took the easy way out and passed its problem off to an unsuspecting district.

The district's residents should be outraged - as should the good teachers who needlessly are tarnished when one among them acts improperly.

Belatedly, Unit 5 has taken steps to improve its pre-employment screening procedures. It has created the position of director of human resources/training, with an eye toward greater attention to screening and recruiting.

But it is also important for the district to protect other children, not just those in its own district.

The letter of recommendation for White didn't state his dates of employment in a neutral manner. It referred to "positive comments" by parents, described him as "committed and dedicated to the teaching craft" and noted that he was "willing to go beyond the school day with students" and "enjoys working with athletes.

There was no mention of his suspension for viewing pornography on his classroom computer or a parent's complaint that he acted inappropriately toward her daughter.

Although there were no allegations of sexual abuse at the time, the warning flags were waving.

Unfortunately, Unit 5 is not alone in failing to warn other districts - either because of resignation agreements or the fear of lawsuits. This passing off of "bad apples" has got to stop.

A bill sponsored by state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, would require school officials to inform other districts of any suspected abuse of a minor when job performance or qualification information is requested. It would also protect the districts if they are acting in good faith in providing the information.

The Legislature should move forward with this measure - and quickly.

Meanwhile, the Unit 5 school board should make a clear, public commitment that it will not pass off its problem teachers to other districts or provide positive recommendations to teachers it has suspended or disciplined in other ways without mentioning those actions.