New London — City Human Services Director Jeanne Milstein called Friday’s meeting with the state’s Child Advocate Sarah Eagan “thorough and comprehensive,” though preliminary.

Milstein and Mayor Michael Passero traveled to Hartford to discuss the sex scandal in the school district and request an independent outside review of the district policies and practices in light of the arrests of three former middle school employees — two on sexual assault charges and another for failing to report abuse or neglect.

Police continue a criminal investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct by school employees with students while questions remain about district hiring policies and oversight.

There was no firm commitment from Eagan on a review, but both Milstein and Passero said they expect follow-up discussions. Milstein said Friday’s conversation touched on a wide range of issues, all with a focus on children’s safety. Eagan did not return a call seeking comment.

“They may be able to support us and work with us. They are going to discuss different options and get back to us,” Milstein said.

Milstein served as child advocate for more than a decade and is coordinating the effort with the Office of the Child Advocate. She has questions of her own about district policies and procedures — the strengths and weaknesses of the district.

Milstein, when she was state child advocate, joined with former Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for an investigation into five school districts with a focus on protecting children. New London was not one of the districts. She said that one of the themes that emerged during the investigation involved the infrastructure that is supposed to be in place to protect children.

While the schools no doubt are performing a self-evaluation, Milstein said she would be interested to learn more about the “culture of safety,” and what that looks like in the New London schools.

“How do you handle concerns within the school environment? What are the protocols regarding boundaries, social media, employees being alone with a child, documentation of those concerns…” she said.

“This is a child-serving agency. Are they in compliance with mandatory abuse and neglect reporting requirements? Do they have specific policies for students with disabilities? Do they understand and comply with Title 9 obligations? What are the qualifications for paraprofessionals and what kind of background checks are performed?”

Milstein also said she wondered about things like the resignation policy.

“Sometimes a person might have an issue and might be allowed to resign to avoid contentious, costly and uncertain termination litigation,” Milstein said. “I’m not saying that happened here, but these are some of the things you want to look at.”

While the schools are performing a self-evaluation, Milstein said, a truly independent look at the district would go a long way to boost confidence for the school community.

There is a police investigation looking at the criminal accusations in the district. The Department of Children and Families is investigating reports of abuse and neglect. Milstein said the child advocate could take a different approach and ensure policies' best practices are being followed.

Meanwhile, School Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie has ordered a hiring audit looking back at hires over at least the past five years. The Board of Education continues to review policies.

g.smith@theday.com