WASHINGTON — Re-establishing trust is one of the goals of a PTSA meeting set
for a Germantown middle school Tuesday night.
Roberto Clemente Middle School principal Khadija Barkley has come under fire
for waiting for weeks before notifying parents that a substitute teacher, 50-
year-old Jose Pineda, of Gaithersburg, had been arrested and accused of
committing a sex offense against a student in the classroom at the Germantown
school. Since his arrest, other students have made complaints, although there
have been no other charges filed against Pineda.
This is the second time in recent weeks that a Montgomery County principal has
faced angry parents after waiting to release information on allegations of a
sexual offense by a contract worker or teacher. The principal at John T. Baker
Middle School met with parents who were furious to learn that a contract
worker, John Epps Jr., 44, of Fort Washington, had been charged in connection with groping a 12-year-old girl
at that school.
Additionally, the mother of a girl who reported that her science teacher at A.
Mario Loiederman Middle School, in Silver Spring, groped her is
suing the teacher — Benjamin Robert Cano, 34, of Edgewater — and the
Montgomery County Board of Education for $300,000.
Montgomery County Police Officer Nicole Gamard says a school resource officer
and a member of the Montgomery County Police 5th District will attend Tuesday
night’s meeting. But Gamard said police could not comment on the cases at
either middle school since they are both still under investigation.
The meeting at Roberto Clemente Middle School is set for 7 p.m. in the school
cafeteria.
Related Stories:
- Man accused of sex assault worked at dozens of
schools - MCPS: Students come forward after substitute
teacher charged - Parents furious over school’s handling of sex
assault
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
