(2/29/08 - Initial BBT Report)

James Richard Steel, 55, a long-term substitute teacher at Windsor Knolls Middle School in Ijamsville, Maryland has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of child sexual abuse.

It is alleged that Steel followed a 12-year-old male student into the restroom and watched the boy urinate.

07/19/08 - No Contest Plea

In a bizarre courtroom scenario, James Steel entered a no contest plea to trespassing in a private place with prurient intent, then during allocution Steel said he was innocent to which the prosecuting attorney asked if he would like to go to trial and ultimately Steel settled for the no contest plea.

The judge sentenced Steel to a suspended six-month jail sentence and placed him on five years of supervised probation.

While on probation Steel is prohibited from having contact with the victim or his family, and he cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 18.

In addition the judge advised Steel that he cannot be employed or belong to agencies where he would come into contact with juveniles.

Reference:

Ousted teacher takes plea (07/17/08)

Grand jury indicts substitute teacher on sex charge (2/29/08)

(05/23/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Lindsey H. Froehlich, 26, a teacher at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents, in Rockville, Maryland has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old male student/resident of the school which focuses on emotionally challenged children.

It is alleged that Froehlich had established a personal relationship between herself and the student that escalated into inappropriate touching initiated by Froehlich. The incidents allegedly occurred during school hours and on school property.

Froehlich came to the attention of authorities on May 19th by way of the school administration contacting Child Protective Services with allegations of improper touching occurring that day.

Following her arrest, bail for Froehlich was initially set at $250,000. At a court hearing on Friday her bail was reduced to $75,000. Bail for Froehlich is conditioned upon her staying away from the school and having no contact with minors other than her 3-year-old daughter.

Froehlich has been placed on administrative leave by the school system.

References:

Bail set at $75,000 for teacher charged with sexual abuse of a minor (05/23/08)

Montgomery Teacher Charged With Sexually Abusing Student (05/22/08)

Teacher charged with sexual abuse of a minor (05/23/08)

Teacher Charged after Inappropriate Sexual Contact with Student (05/23/08)

04/28/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Timothy Allen Rhodes, 42, a physical education teacher at Pleasant Plains Elementary School in Towson, Maryland has been arrested on allegations of sexual abuse of a 12-year-old female.

Police say that Timothy Rhodes’ wife provided morning and after-school care for the victim. It is alleged that Timothy Rhodes sexually abused the girl on nights she stayed at his house, and after his wife went to work at night.

Rhodes is accused of touching the girl inappropriately under her clothing when she went to sleep, and on occasion would engage in oral sex with the victim. It is alleged that Rhodes had sexual contact with the girl 20 to 30 times between early 2005 and November 2007.

Rhodes has been charged with sex abuse of a minor, second-degree child abuse, second-degree assault, and third-degree sex offense. Following his arrest he was released on $250,000 bond.

References:

Teacher Arrested For Sexual Child Abuse (04/28/08)

Gym Teacher Arrested For Sexual Child Abuse (04/28/08)

(04/11/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Scott Thomas Strandberg Jr., 24, a drumline coach at Leonardtown High School in Leonardtown, Maryland has been arrested and charged on allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student.

Strandberg has been charged with one count of child sexual abuse.

The alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place on a school bus and in Strandberg’s home between September and November of last year.

References:

Leonardtown HS Instructor Jailed for Child Sex Abuse (04/10/08)

Leonardtown Drumline Coach Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges (04/10/08)

(6/05/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Nathaniel B. Thomas, 26, an at-large member of the Prince George’s County, MD school board was indicted Tuesday on a third-degree sex offense charge for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student he once taught..

Thomas allegedly had sex at least three times at his home with the student between August 2004 and October 2005, at a time when the student was 15 years old.

The alleged victim is a 15-year-old boy who attended Forestville Military Academy where Thomas was a U.S. history and government teacher at the time.

It has also been alleged that Thomas also allowed the student to watch pornographic videos.

The case came to the attention of authorities during a separate investigation ordered by the school board into whether Thomas took an 18-year-old Forestville Military Academy senior to a conference in San Francisco in April of this year.

Thomas surrendered to police on May 8th, four days after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on the third-degree sex offense. Bail for Thomas was set at $85,000.

In a unanimous vote in May, the school board recommended that the Maryland Board of Education expel Thomas, who took a seat on the board seven months ago. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) would have to approve that decision.

7/07/07 - Nathaniel Thomas Resigns

Yesterday Nathaniel B. Thomas resigned from the Prince George’s school board.

11/26/07 - Charges Dropped To Be Refiled

Charges against former Prince George’s County school board member Nathaniel B. Thomas was dismissed Monday, the day his trial was expected to start, because prosecutors filed an incorrect address for Thomas in their charging documents.

The state’s attorney spokesman said the charges would be refiled within two weeks.

Thomas attorney said, “My client is very gratified that this ordeal is over, and we certainly hope [prosecutors] would elect to make the appropriate decision and not re-institute any charges.”

4/02/08 - Trial Comes To a Screeching Halt

The trial of Nathaniel Thomas started and ended today when Thomas’ attorney filed a motion for dismissal, saying he did not have time to prepare because he received state notes from detectives on the eve of the trial. Prosecutors admitted to only handing over the detectives’ notes Tuesday night, but say the lead detective in the case had just recovered the notes and had given them to the state. Prosecutors also said the information in the notes had been given to the defense in some other form.

Ultimately the judge said he had to exclude any witnesses or names included in the notes handed over late to the defense. This included the majority of key witnesses for the prosecution, including the alleged victim. The state has appealed the judge’s ruling.

References:

Teacher’s Sex Abuse Trial Ends Before it Begins (4/02/08)

Charge against former school board member dismissed (11/26/07)

Thomas resigns after indictment; hearing cancelled

Thomas indicted on sex offense charge

P.G. School Board Member Indicted On Sex Offense

Pr. George’s School Board Member Charged with Sex Offense

Background:

School Board Member Arrested