ARLINGTON – A teenage girl on Thursday admitted she lied when she reported that a substitute teacher inappropriately touched her this week during class at Post Middle School.
The teacher, 59, was removed from school on Tuesday and was under investigation for assault.
On Thursday, after interviewing the girl and two other students, investigators determined the teacher didn’t commit a crime, Arlington Police Chief John Gray said.
“We found a 30-year professional without a blemish on his record,” Gray said. “He’s completely devastated.”
The students recanted their allegations, admitting to police that they’d exaggerated “and it snowballed,” Gray said.
Police now are considering focusing their investigation on the girl, 13, and the other two students.
“We could be investigating them for false reporting,” Gray said. “We take these allegations seriously and they need to be factual. If they aren’t, those people need to be held accountable.”
The teacher had been hired in late February or early March as a long-term substitute for a teacher on leave, said Misti Gilman, a school district spokeswoman.
He has at least 30 years of teaching experience, but this was the first year he worked in the Arlington School District, Gilman said. He has been teaching half days at the Arlington middle school.
The school district acted appropriately when it contacted police about the allegations, Gray said.
Post Middle School called the homes of all of the students from the class where the incident was alleged to have occurred.
The status of whether the teacher would return to the classroom was unknown late Thursday afternoon.
Gilman said the district had not yet received official word from the police department that the investigation was complete.
As a result, “I can’t respond to your questions about what our next steps will be,” Gilman said.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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