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School nurse in Searcy works 5 years, unlicensed

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Suzanne Johnson

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Searcy

Updated: 7/20/2012 4:03 pm

Published: 7/20/2012 11:54 am

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A woman working as an elementary school nurse in Searcy is charged with misdemeanor practicing nursing without a license after officials alleged she spent five years on the job without a nursing license.

Officials said Friday that that 49-year-old Suzanne Johnson of Pleasant Plains, bonded out the day of her arrest, July 10.

Police say Searcy School District contacted the state Nursing Board and police after being unable to find a nursing license for Johnson, who worked under the name Suzanne Pitts.

Superintendent Dianne Barrett told The Associated Press that Johnson, who worked under the name Suzanne Pitts, is still employed but couldn't say more about her. Barrett says she has reviewed the credentials of the district's other nurses and they all checked out.

Johnson was hired in 2007.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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ArkansasYankee - 7/20/2012 10:49 PM

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Just watched the news; this woman has been busted for the same thing in 2 other states. And the school district had "no comment". As mentioned earlier; the town got together and ran Hastings out of town; but they can't screen people, or do background checks on people that take care of their children? Sounds like someone in the school district wasn't doing their job at all, and they should be fired also.

ladyofthehill - 7/20/2012 8:05 PM

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Doesn't surprise me a friend said the other day she saw where a person who was convicted of abuse was working in a place with hepless people.They don't screen them it sounds like.

ArkansasYankee - 7/20/2012 7:12 PM

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I'm with you golfdude2; but I'm betting no fine, and probation. I used to get the paper; sometimes they had a follow up on these kind of stories.

golfdude2 - 7/20/2012 2:18 PM

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Wow! I wish stories like this would get a follow up after court to see what kind of fines and penalties come from this.

ArkansasYankee - 7/20/2012 12:57 PM

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Searcy is too busy running stores like Hastings out of town to be worried about "minor" things like this.

something - 7/20/2012 12:49 PM

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Wow! This really ticks me off. Schools need to take more responsibility for the welfare of our children. We are required by law to put them into school, so their should be more regulations to assure that this sort of thing doesn't ever happen. Did no one check references and run background reports on this lady, makes me wonder what other kind of criminals are working in this school. The school district seriously needs to be reprimanded for this, and I would look closely at everyone else employed for the district to verify their qualifications. With so many people needing employment there is no excuse for hiring someone not qualified.

itsjustme - 7/20/2012 12:09 PM

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Why did the school hire her in the first place? No license, no job. Its not that difficult.

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