A janitor at a Missouri high school is accused of sexually abusing a student with Down Syndrome, officials said.
Robert Smith, 50, a custodian with the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County, has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse following accusations that he had inappropriate sexual conduct with the disabled student, according to law enforcement.
A resource officer at Eureka Senior High School was alerted that Smith made non-consensual contact with the special education student on Feb. 11, KTVI reported.
In a Thursday letter to parents, obtained by KTVI, Principal Corey Sink said that Smith has been suspended without pay and is banned from school district property.
“I can assure you we are working in full cooperation with the Eureka Police Department, as well as taking the appropriate steps in our school to ensure the safety of our students, which is at the forefront of all that we do,” Sink wrote, adding that all district employees must pass a criminal background check before being hired.
“I know that any allegation of this type is very troubling news to process, and we share your concern as parents and educators. Because this is a personnel issue and an ongoing investigation, I am limited as to what details I am at liberty to share. I want to assure you, though, that we take any allegations of this nature very seriously, and we will do everything in our power to assist the investigators and ensure the safety of all of our students.”
Smith is currently being held on a $300,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.