janitor

13 Stories

By Day, He Sweeps School Halls. After That, a 'Noble' Coaching Gig

Dave Bishop has mentored Maine schoolkids in chess, helping them win state championships

(Newser) - When Dave Bishop was 50, he decided he'd had enough of his 30-year telecommunications career. He took a retirement package, and a job as a custodian in a Maine school district, figuring it would be a lot less stressful than what he used to do. Now, more than a...

School Janitor Had to 'Unretire' to Pay Rent. The Kids Stepped In

Nearly $180K had been raised as of Thursday for 'Mr. James,' who was forced to return to work at 80

(Newser) - A GoFundMe that popped up last week features the rather ominous title "Getting Mr. James out of this school." It's not an attempt to see a teacher or staff member fired, however—instead, it's an effort by high school students in North Texas to help their...

These Are the Jobs Your Partner Wishes You Had

Zippia lists most, least attractive jobs for a partner from the perspective of men and women

(Newser) - Working in health care probably doesn't feel all that sexy during a pandemic. But it does look that way in a new survey. Zippia asked 1,000 workers about what common jobs they thought were most attractive for a romantic partner out of a list of 250, and the...

University Janitor Counters Racism With Kindness

After racist incidents at Syracuse University, Keri Courtwright takes action

(Newser) - Restoring your hope in humanity today: Keri Courtwright. The 35-year-old works the night shift as a janitor at Syracuse University, a school that's been investigating racist graffiti found on campus this month . Courtwright is no stranger to graffiti, and like all janitors has "graffiti cleaner" among her supplies....

What Custodian Did During Anti-Gun Walkout Got Her Fired

Authorities say Aisha Evans stole money from 3 backpacks left behind by protesting students

(Newser) - A high-school custodian in South Carolina was fired and faces criminal charges after authorities say she used Wednesday's nationwide gun-control protests as an opportunity to steal from students, WLTX reports. According to WIS , students participating in the walkout exited Richland Northeast High School and left their backpacks behind in...

Married Mom Accused of Raping Teen at School

School janitor Jessica Galyon allegedly harassed boy while students, faculty teased

(Newser) - The family of a 16-year-old Tennessee boy has filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against Roane County Schools and contractor Compass One Services of Tennessee for negligence after they say a female janitor at the teen's former high school raped him during school hours, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports....

Janitor Making $270K Spends Lots of Time in a Closet: Probe
Janitor Making $270K Spends
Lots of Time in a Closet: Probe
in case you missed it

Janitor Making $270K Spends Lots of Time in a Closet: Probe

BART reps scrambling to explain how Liang Zhao Zhang pulled in so much in 2015

(Newser) - There's quite a difference between making $58,000 a year and $270,000, and that huge gap is why some are now poking around to see how a San Francisco janitor has been pulling in the latter . The San Francisco Chronicle reports on Liang Zhao Zhang, who cleans the...

SF Train Station Janitor Paid $58K Actually Made $270K
SF Train Station
Janitor Paid $58K
Actually Made $270K
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

SF Train Station Janitor Paid $58K Actually Made $270K

Liang Zhao Zhang picked up a lot of overtime

(Newser) - Looking to make the big bucks? Try being a janitor and apparently not having a life. A San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit janitor raked in about $271,000 in pay and benefits last year—almost five times his base salary of $57,945, reports NBC Bay Area —after...

Custodian Lands Dream Job After Earning Degree at 54

Michael Vaudreuil had to start over when he lost everything in 2008

(Newser) - Michael Vaudreuil first made headlines in May when the custodian received a degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts-based Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the very school the 54-year-old had spent the past decade cleaning. Now he's got another big announcement: a dream job with multibillion-dollar aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, where...

Boys, 10: Janitors Tied Us in Bathroom

Elementary school maintenance workers have been suspended

(Newser) - Four 10-year-old students at a New Jersey elementary school say they were bound and gagged inside a school bathroom last week by two maintenance employees. The janitors, who have since been suspended, also reportedly took pictures of the boys, Fox News notes. The boys' hands and mouths were allegedly tied...

Gingrich Calls Child Labor Laws 'Stupid'

Says poor students could work as janitors

(Newser) - First, Newt Gingrich wanted Occupy protesters to "get a job." Now he says teenagers should do the same, even if it means discarding child labor laws, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a speech at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government on Friday, the presidential candidate said he...

Lindsay Lohan Morgue: Actress Will Complete Community Service Doing Janitorial Work in Morgue
 LiLo: Not 
 Dead Yet, 
 but Going 
 to Morgue 
GRIM COMMUNITY SERVICE

LiLo: Not Dead Yet, but Going to Morgue

Lohan sentenced to janitorial work at LA County Morgue

(Newser) - Community service is never glamorous, but for Lindsay Lohan, paying her debt to society is going to be especially gruesome: The actress will be doing part of her community service—120 hours, to be exact—at the LA County Department of Coroner, reports People. "She won't be handling...

Janitor Charged in NJ Priest's Stabbing Death

He confesses, citing argument; cops probe possible relationship

(Newser) - A janitor and "second father" to kids at a New Jersey Catholic church has been charged in the murder of a beloved parish priest, who he rushed to halfheartedly give CPR when he and church workers discovered the body. Jose Feliciano told police he and Father Ed Hinds had...

13 Stories