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| Principal, teacher charged in connection with alleged abuse of special needs students at Va. school | Principal, teacher charged in connection with alleged abuse of special needs students at Va. school |
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| The former principal of a Fairfax County elementary school has been charged with failing to report the abuse of six non-verbal, intellectually disabled students by two member of his teaching staff, police said. | |
| The three former employees of Freedom Hill Elementary School in Vienna were indicted by a Fairfax County grand jury Monday on a total of 18 counts in connection with the alleged abuse, which occurred between April and September of 2019, police said. | |
| Fairfax County police said those charged are former principal Scott Bloom, and former instructional aides Cylmeera Gustav and Cecilia Benavides. | |
| “This case is shocking, unacceptable conduct by community members who are in a position of trust,” said Fairfax County police Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Major Crimes Bureau. | |
| Fairfax County police said the abuse first came to light in mid-September, after a concerned teacher noticed bruises on a student and reported it to the school and child protective services. | |
| The investigation revealed Bloom was allegedly told about potential abuse during the last school year, but failed to notify police. Bloom is required by law as a mandatory reporter to report such abuse to authorities. He is facing a misdemeanor for failing to report the incident. | |
| Bloom, who was transferred to Haycock Elementary in Falls Church in September, is currently on leave. Gustav and Benavides have been fired from the school, Fairfax County school officials said. | |
| “There is no greater responsibility of a school system than the safety and well-being of our students, and as a result of this tragic situation, we have learned that we need to do more,” said Marty Smith, chief operation officer for Fairfax County schools. | |
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