Buchanan’s arrest was a second blow to a community that was reeling from the arrest last week of David Ettlinger, a beloved second-grade teacher at the Underwood Elementary School. Ettlinger, 34, of Allston, was charged with sexually assaulting a girl and filming it. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Investigators also accuse Ettlinger of posting to an international website that trafficked in child pornography.
“I think it’s really disturbing,’’ said Carol Reichert, a parent who was at the Newton Public Library yesterday. “It’s difficult to know who people really are.’’
One of Reichert’s children attends a school where Ettlinger taught. “It’s very hard to feel like your kids are safe,’’ she said.
“It’s two strikes,’’ said Kate Fraktman, a Newton mother. “When people hear Newton, you’ll associate it with something you don’t want to associate it with.’’
Investigators said the two cases are unrelated, but they have struck at Newton’s core. Newton has built its reputation on its safety and its schools. Last month, Newton was named the fifth-safest city in the United States by CQ Press. Its schools are consistently ranked among the state’s top in test scores, and parents are often in classrooms as volunteers.
The cases have sparked a round of soul-searching among city officials and residents and drawn pointed questions from parents about what more public institutions can do to protect their children.
Mayor Setti Warren and School Superintendent David Fleishman have each pledged to review screening procedures and hiring practices.
Officials did routine criminal background checks on Buchanan when he was hired, Warren said. Ettlinger underwent screening every three years, including last year, but no red flags were found.
“One person can have a devastating effect,’’ Warren said. “And one person with this type of behavior in our midst is unacceptable.’’
Warren found out about Buchanan’s arrest from police as he was leaving a community forum Tuesday night on the Ettlinger case.
