BELLEVUE, Wash. -- The Bellevue School District held two separate meetings for parents Monday in response to allegations of sexual abuse against a male art teacher with the district.
One of the meetings was held at Cherry Crest Elementary and the other at Clyde Hill Elementary, the two schools where the teacher primarily taught.
Arrest documents indicate the teacher was arrested on January 27 at Cherry Crest Elementary.
King 5 is not naming the teacher because he has not been officially charged, but a Statement of Probable Cause from the King County Prosecutor's Office indicates the 50-year-old began molesting one of his female students when she was in kindergarten and continued that abuse for about three years.
The abuse allegedly happened at Cherry Crest Elementary in a private area in the art room from 2003-2007. The victim is now 16 years old.
That same document indicates police had made contact with the man roughly 4 years before the abuse began on suspicion of child pornography but did not follow up with an investigation.
That teacher has been released from jail and remains on leave from the district while the investigation continues.
"I don't know what to tell my children. Is he coming back, is he not coming back," said Heather Snyder. Both of her daughters had the man as a teacher. "I guess immediately I'm not concerned because I think I would have seen a difference. As much as I want to protect my daughters, we are avoiding the major question here which is, 'how do we move forward as a community if he comes back to this school?'"
During Monday's meeting parents sought answers about how to talk with their kids.
"I think, keep the conversation at a high level about safety, about good touch, bad touch, confusing touch, and not getting into too many specifics," said Mary Frances Cline, a spokesperson with the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center.
Superintendent Justin Mills promised a full investigation both criminally and by the district. He said experts would continue to be available to assist parents and children as questions come up.
