By Jeremy Walsh
IS 145 math teacher Derek Platov, 29, was arrested last Thursday and charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records and petit larceny.He was arraigned the same day and released on his own recognizance, the Queens district attorney's office said. His next court date is April 17. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison, the DA's office said.Platov claimed to be absent from school from Oct. 11 to Oct. 18 because of jury duty in Richmond County, said Richard Condon, the DOE special commissioner of investigation. Staten Island comprises Richmond County.But an IS 145 secretary noticed a previous record of jury service in March 2007 and reported it to Principal Delores Beckham, Condon said. Records also showed Platov listed a Staten Island address on some forms and a Manhattan address on the more recent excuse forms, Condon said.Beckham called the Richmond County Clerk's office and learned Platov had only served jury duty on Oct. 11, Condon said.Platov invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when investigators questioned him about the incident, Condon said.He has since resigned from the DOE and is not eligible to work in the city school system.IS 145, also known as the Joseph Pulitzer School, currently has more than 2,000 students in sixth- through eighth-grade, Beckham said at a recent Community Board 3 meeting. It scored a B last year in the city's first-ever school report cards.Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
