A school aide in Maryland has been placed on leave after a video clip reportedly showed inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature during a virtual class with eighth graders.
The employee, identified in reports as Marc, is an assistant special education teacher at Shady Grove Middle School in Gaithersburg. According to the New York Post, he spoke with Bethesda Magazine and said he did not know he was still on camera until he was interviewed.
“I thought I was logged out when class was over,” he told the magazine. He described the incident as a mistake and said he had no idea the call was still running.
A short clip of the moment was later shared on social media. It reportedly shows his name on screen as the host of the call, and moments later another name replaces his as the moderator.
Marc also told the magazine that the district contacted him on Monday to say he was being placed on leave and that his background check file had been misplaced. He said officials did not mention the video during that call and that he learned about it later in the week.
A spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools confirmed to the Post that a staff member was placed on leave while the district looks into “inappropriate behavior that was sexual in nature.” Spokeswoman Gboyinde Onijala said the district does not release the names of staff under investigation, and that local authorities were informed and are also investigating.
Local authorities confirmed an investigation is underway but shared no further details, since no charges have been filed.
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