Third grade teacher faces misconduct allegation

A third grade teacher at Severna Park Elementary has been removed “indefinitely” from their classroom position following an undisclosed allegation of misconduct, according to public school officials.

The teacher, who police said Thursday has not been charged with a crime, is still employed by the Anne Arundel school system in a role away from students, according to spokesperson Bob Mosier.

The Capital is not naming the teacher because they have not been charged with a crime.

Mosier said Thursday the school system has in the past removed staff from a student-facing role once an allegation is made against them to allow time for the accusations to be investigated. He said that practice doesn’t take place after every allegation, but is decided on a case-by-case basis determined by the substance of the allegation.

In an April 7 letter to elementary school families and staff, Severna Park Principal Kyle Butler said he “immediately reported” an allegation against the teacher to the school system’s Office of Investigations.

Butler said he would not discuss why the teacher was removed with anyone other than the families “directly impacted.”

He explained the decision to reassign the teacher does not imply guilt and said both the families and the teacher have “a right to have this process play out in its entirety.”

“I fully realize both the emotion that comes with a situation like this and the frustration that accompanies not being able to be provided with every answer,” Butler wrote. “I can simply assure you that the process is proceeding appropriately.”

Anne Arundel Police spokesperson Marc Limansky acknowledged the department is investigating allegations against a Severna Park Elementary teacher but did not include details of the probe.

“No arrests have been made,” Limansky wrote in an email, “and we have not named any suspects.”

The teacher was replaced by a substitute in mid-March.