SEATTLE — A Seattle Public Schools (SPS) employee was charged with two counts of child molestation for abuse that allegedly occurred during the 2015-2016 school year at Rainier View Elementary.
The employee, identified as Abdi Hassan, was the victim's English as a Second Language instructor at the time of the alleged abuse, according to court documents. Hassan was suspended from his position, banned from school property and is not allowed to have any contact with students, according to a letter sent to SPS employees by the district.
The district said it is "working to address" Hassan's employment status.
Hassan has worked for the district since 2012, according to the letter. The district said they are reaching out to families and schools where he worked to provide them with resources and contact information.
The victim came forward about the abuse in 2021 after she was asked to write about a "time of great difficulty in her life," according to court documents.
Hassan was ordered to be held on $50,000 bail. He is now out on bond. At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
On Wednesday, SPS released a statement that said in part, "Mr. Hassan has not been working in schools or allowed on any SPS campus during the investigation into the allegations. As soon as the district learned of the police investigation, our Human Resources Department took immediate action to suspend Mr. Hassan from work and prohibit any contact with students."
"The safety and well-being of students is extremely important to Seattle Public Schools," SPS said.
Families looking for help or information are asked to reach out to the resources below:
- King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, phone number 888-998-6423 or www.kcsarc.org
- Harborview Abuse & Trauma Center (HATC), phone number 206-744-1600; https://depts.washington.edu/uwhatc/