Anne Arundel County Public Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Updated – June 21, 2024
A former teacher at Severna Park Elementary School — part of Anne Arundel County Public Schools — is facing 55 charges of sexual abuse after reportedly sexually assaulting multiple students.
A live report from Law & Crime said an investigation into 44-year-old Matthew Schlegel started in March 2024 after a third-grade victim came forward. Investigators discovered Schlegel abused several elementary students from 2022 to 2024.
According to Law & Crime, Schlegel could be charged with multiple counts of “sexual abuse of a minor,” “fourth-degree sex offense of a person in a position of authority,” and “second-degree assault.”
Content Warning: Graphic discussion of child sexual abuse.
On May 21, 2024, Capital Gazette reported, “Once the first accusations were made in March, administrators removed Schlegel indefinitely from a student-facing role. Before his arrest and during the criminal probe, Schlegel … worked in a school system building without students, according to spokesperson Bob Mosier.”
The source continued, “Mosier confirmed Monday [May 20] that Schlegel is still employed with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, saying the school system is ‘reviewing the charges and monitoring developments in the case.’”
The June 7 update from Capital Gazette captured a more detailed account of charges, stating, “Schlegel faced 36 offenses, including seven counts of child sex abuse and 14 counts of fourth-degree sex offense,” which increased to “11 counts of child sex abuse and 18 counts of fourth-degree sex offense.”
The June 11 update from CBS News finalized the number of 55 sexual abuse charges involving at least eight students. Schlegel — employed at Severna Park Elementary since 2016 — was denied bail and scheduled back in court on June 17.
The School Board Watchlist will update this story as details become available. Please send tips and information to [email protected].
Updated – May 13, 2024
An administrator in Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) is under fire after students were permitted to film a raunchy rap video on campus.
On May 9, 2024, Fox News Baltimore reported, “The music video, titled ‘Wanna Be Remix,’ was posted on YouTube by the account ‘Rogue Boys’ on April 25. The video, which has received 19,000 views as of Thursday afternoon, opens with a ‘disclaimer’ ensuring ‘no one was hurt in the making of this video and everything was for educational purposes.’”
Fox News also said, “Multiple commenters on the music video have alleged [P]rincipal Gina Davenport is being ‘forced to step down’ due to the video.”
In a letter to families and staff members at Arundel High School, Davenport denied allowing building access to the students.
Capital Gazette stated, “Nobody in the music video, which makes visual and lyrical references to sex, drugs, and violence, has been identified as a current student, said Bob Mosier, chief information officer for [AACPS].”
Davenport oversaw another incident that occurred in 2023 when an inappropriate video was disseminated to multiple AACPS students.
On May 5, 2023, WBAL-TV 11 reported, “[Davenport] sent two letters Thursday addressing a video that was shared on social media and apparently airdropped to students. The video is described as containing biased and demeaning language about race, gender identity and sexual orientation by an Arundel student.”
The first letter stated that “The words and thoughts uttered in the video … are not reflective of who we aspire to be, and the fact that they were uttered is evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts to create an environment where every student and staff member feels like they belong.”
The second letter mentioned that the student suspect was being investigated and would not be attending classes.
Davenport occupied the principal position in 2019 when a mother alleged that her daughter was sexually assaulted at Arundel High School. Davenport again sent a letter informing the community that students were undergoing a police investigation. No suspects were identified at that time.
Davenport will vacate her principal position at the end of the 2023–2024 school year.
Please send tips, updates, and information on Anne Arundel Public Schools to [email protected].
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Published – October 4, 2021
Anne Arundel County Public Schools is a district located in Annapolis, Maryland. With over 80,000 students enrolled, the AACPS school system is the 5th largest in Maryland and the 46th largest in the United States. The district has over 5,000 teachers supporting a comprehensive curriculum from Pre-K through 12th grade.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools voted to require masks for all students, regardless of vaccination status.
The district voted to mandate vaccines for all district employees and high school student-athletes, or submit to weekly testing.
In 2020, the district’s Superintendent penned a letter to the district outlining his plan to rewrite the curriculum to include “cultural literacy and sensitivity.” The curriculum will center around Educational Equity and social justice. He also wrote that the executive committee would be studying an article titled “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.” His plan was to have this new curriculum ready for the 2021-2022 school year.
The Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) announced in January of 2021 that they will be funding Black Lives Matter Weeks in schools. The full details of this endeavor can be found here.
