A DCPS teacher was previously arrested, accused of filming teen in shower in Maryland

WASHINGTON (7News) — A man who was previously arrested for and admitted to inappropriate behavior towards an 18 -year-old student in Maryland is now working at Kelly Miller Middle School in D.C.

It’s the same school where Washington, D.C., reporter Phylicia Ashley uncovered an alleged sexual assault of one student by another, which was never reported to the alleged victim’s parents.

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Several people reached out after reports on alleged sexual assaults involving two Kelly Miller students to share another issue on the campus, regarding a teacher. One of those sources used to work at Miller. Due to their role, 7News is not identifying them.

“It started circulating among the students,” said the educator. “I was shocked at how this could even get through the cracks in these seeps, because we usually go through an intense background check and everything like that.”

They’re talking about a teacher currently listed in the Kelly Miller Middle School staff directory. A man who was charged and admitted to recording an 18-year- old exchange student he and his then-wife were hosting in their home while she showered.

Court records related to the man’s case do not appear on Maryland’s statewide case search website.

“The main concern is just the fact that we have somebody that has a record like this and that can have a position where they’re in close contact with children,” said the educator. “Not just in the classroom, but in a physical education standpoint where they (the kids) wear any type of free clothing.”

At the time of his arrest, the gym teacher was working at the McLean School of Maryland in Potomac. He started working at Kelly Miller in 2022.

“Retention is very hard,” said Jacque Patterson is the President of the State Board of Education and an At Large Representative. “Sometimes teachers get through processes when we would vet them a lot differently if we were not in heavy demand for a teacher.”

7News asked Patterson about the vetting process for the people who get access to DCPS students.

“We need to keep our students safe first and foremost,” said Patterson. “If someone, even if they were not convicted but have a record of that nature and have been found out, then that person should not be around our students.”

“We need to get rid of any of these bad actors in our system that have records or situations that they can be with, vulnerable kids,” said the educator.

7News reached out to DCPS and asked if it was aware of the gym teacher’s arrest and if he was vetted according to protocol. The district provided this statement.

“At DC Public Schools (DCPS), the safety and well-being of our students is paramount. In order to work in the district in any capacity, all employees are required to complete and pass a criminal background check and maintain an active clearance.While DCPS can confirm that every employee at Kelly Miller Middle School has an active clearance on record, the district has a duty to maintain confidentiality regarding personnel matters, and we are unable to provide information regarding individual employees.”