A Delaware school counselor, John Ervin Arnold, has been arrested on charges of raping a 5-year-old girl. Investigations revealed that Arnold’s doctoral degree in psychology, which helped him secure his job, was fraudulent.
Key Takeaways
- John Ervin Arnold was hired by Brandywine School District as a trauma counselor based on fake academic credentials.
- Arnold’s arrest came after a 5-year-old family member accused him of rape.
- The Delaware Department of Education certified Arnold’s bogus doctoral degree, allowing him to earn a higher salary.
- Arnold is currently held on $1.05 million bail, with no trial date set.
- The state and school district are reviewing their credential verification processes.
The Hiring and Certification
In October 2021, John Ervin Arnold was hired by Delaware’s Brandywine School District as a trauma counselor for K–5 students. His resume boasted a master’s and a doctoral degree in psychology from Ohio University. The Delaware Department of Education certified these credentials, which allowed Arnold to earn a higher salary.
The Arrest and Charges
Arnold was arrested by New Castle County police on charges of first- and second-degree rape of a 5-year-old family member. The child disclosed the abuse during a “good touches and bad touches” discussion at her summer day camp. Another relative also accused Arnold of sexual abuse over a decade ago, although no charges have been filed for that accusation.
The Investigation
A WHYY News investigation revealed that Arnold never attended Ohio University, and his advanced degrees were entirely fabricated. The Delaware Department of Education had issued a certification letter recognizing his “Doctorate Degree,” which was later found to be bogus.
Reactions and Consequences
Brandywine Superintendent Lisa Lawson expressed shock that Arnold’s falsified degrees went undetected by both the district and the state. Purnima Montagne, former president of the Delaware Parent Teacher Association, criticized the state’s failure to verify Arnold’s credentials, calling it a devastating oversight.
Moving Forward
The state and the Brandywine School District are now reviewing their processes for verifying academic credentials. Education Secretary Mark Holodick and other state officials have pledged to investigate how Arnold’s fake degrees were approved and to improve their systems to prevent such errors in the future.
Arnold remains in custody at the Howard Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, with bail set at $1.05 million. A preliminary hearing was waived, and no trial date has been set.
