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Hampton Pre-K school employee under investigation for two alleged sexual assaults

Posted at 10:41 AM, Mar 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-16 17:38:09-04

HAMPTON, Va. - Law enforcement said a Hampton City Schools employee is under investigation by police for an alleged sexual assault.

Police said on March 14 at 10:15 a.m., Public Safety Communications received a complaint in reference to a sexual assault that had allegedly occurred at Moton Early Childhood Center, which is located in the 300 block of Old Buckroe Road.

Authorities say when they got to the school, officers were told that the parent of a female juvenile student had made allegations that she was sexually assaulted by a school employee the day before.  

During this course of the preliminary investigation, police say information was gained that there was a second female juvenile student whom was also alleging that she was also sexually assaulted by the same person.

Parents of the girls involved said their daughters are 4 and 5 years old.

News 3 reached out to the Hampton School District about the allegations and asked about the protocol for handling this type of allegation and if the teacher has been suspended.

The district responded:

Hampton City Schools may not, by law, comment upon an inquiry that involves confidential student or employee information.

To respond to your question regarding division procedure, the protocol when a complaint is made regarding improper employee conduct with a student is to turn the matter over to Child Protective Services and the Hampton Police Department to conduct an investigation. HCS also conducts its own internal investigation.

The girl’s parents said they were informed by the school that the employee has been suspended, however the district has not confirmed that to News 3.

The parents said they are upset with the way the school has handled this situation.

The parent of the second child involved said she wasn’t notified of the situation until she was contacted by the Hampton Police Division on Wednesday.

The parent of the first child said she watched as a school official interrogated her daughter asking her to point out on a teddy bear where she was allegedly touched before getting authorities involved.

The parents said the little girls were both disciplined for behavior the day of the alleged incident.

No charges have been filed.

News 3 went to speak to the employee at the center of this issue. He said he had nothing to say to us about the allegations and shut the door.

Certain parents received a letter sent home from the school saying that the teacher had been placed on leave.