Latest news with #MatthewSchlegel
CBS News
01-07-2025
- CBS News
Judge to clarify status of undecided charges for Maryland teacher acquitted of sex abuse
Maryland teacher Matthew Schlegel was acquitted of sex abuse charges in a partial verdict. On Tuesday, he will appear in court as a judge is expected to clarify the status of the three charges that the jury could not agree on. Schlegel was accused of sexually abusing eight of his students between 2022 and 2024 while he worked as a third-grade math teacher at Severna Park Elementary School in Anne Arundel County. A jury found him not guilty of 18 counts of sex offenses in a partial verdict, but they remained deadlocked on three charges. Jury deadlocked on three charges The jury in Schlegel's five-week-long trial was unable to agree on three second-degree assault charges. They deliberated over the 21 charges for three days, initially telling the judge they were unable to agree on seven. Judge Pamela Alban told the jury to keep trying to find common ground, leading them to agree on one more charge. The jury told the judge they doubted they would agree on the remaining three charges, leaving Schlegel with a partial not guilty verdict. Return to work after review Schlegel was ordered to be released from custody after he was acquitted under the condition that he could not have contact with the alleged victims or their families. He also can't be unsupervised around minors. His attorneys told the media that Schlegel suffered and could be in shock for some time. Anne Arundel County Public Schools said Schlegel will return to paid status after the district finalizes its review of his job status and employment assignment. Parents protest partial verdict Parents of the alleged victims and members of the community expressed disappointment and outrage after the verdict. Some protested outside the courthouse while others planted nearly 2,000 pink signs around the county in support of the 10-year-old girls who testified against their teacher. "This outcome yesterday. It's a complete and total failure, and now our focus is on, how do we keep these girls safe? How do we keep our school system safe?" said Katie Juhasz, a friend of an alleged victim's family. The parents of the alleged victims held a press conference led by Attorney Thiru Vignarajah. He represented the families in claiming that Schlegel was wrongly acquitted. "When a number of the families reached out to me earlier this week, their frustration, their devastation, and their heartbreak were not abstract. It was rooted in a feeling of betrayal by the very systems they had come to Severna Park to trust," Vignarajah said. Vignarajah said the families will continue to fight the verdict in any way they can.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- CBS News
Maryland parents express outrage after elementary school teacher acquitted of sex abuse
The parents of five Maryland students expressed their outrage Thursday after an Anne Arundel County elementary school teacher was acquitted of sex abuse charges. On June 18, Matthew Schlegel, 45, a third-grade math teacher at Severna Park Elementary School, was found not guilty of 18 counts of sexual abuse and sex offenses. The jury was unable to agree on three of the charges. Attorney Thiru Vignarajah is representing the parents whose children testified at Schlegal's trial about allegedly being abused during classes. The five 10-year-old girls testified that Schlegel touched them inappropriately on several occasions. The parents claim Schlegel was wrongly acquitted. Vignarajah says the parents feel betrayed by the justice system that is supposed to protect them and their children. "When a number of the families reached out to me earlier this week, their frustration, their devastation, and their heartbreak were not abstract. It was rooted in a feeling of betrayal by the very systems they had come to Severna Park to trust," Vignarajah said in part. He added that the parents will continue to fight the acquittal however they can. "They are going to fight, they are going to make clear that this is not the end, and they are going to do whatever is needed to ensure that justice is done for the sake of their daughters and for the sake of their school," Vignarajah said. Schlegel returns to paid status after partial verdict Schlegel was released on his own recognizance last week after the partial verdict. In a bail review hearing, a judge ordered Schlegel's immediate release under the conditions that he does not have contact with the alleged victims or their families and cannot be unsupervised around minors. Anne Arundel County Public Schools said Schlegel would return to paid status after a review. A spokesperson told WJZ that the school district will finalize its review regarding Schlegel's job status and employment assignment "by our obligations under state law." Not guilty verdict sparks controversy Schlegel's five-week trial began on May 19. He faced 21 charges, including sexual abuse of a minor and assault. After learning of the verdict, the parents of some of the girls who testified expressed their disappointment. "After the last one to two years of mental health struggles and picking my daughter back up and then putting her through hell, to sit there and face the man that (allegedly) abused her, I see her as the strongest little girl I've ever met," one mother told WJZ. On Wednesday, a group of parents made roughly 2,000 pink signs in support of the young students who testified that Schlegel touched them inappropriately during class. The signs planted across town read, "We stand with our girls" and "We believe them."
CBS News
24-06-2025
- CBS News
Maryland parents post pink signs to protest teacher's sexual abuse not guilty verdict
Parents planted pink signs in an Anne Arundel County town on Tuesday in the aftermath of an elementary school teacher being found not guilty of child sex abuse. Matthew Schlegel, a 45-year-old math teacher at Severna Park Elementary School, was released on his own recognizance after he was cleared of 18 counts of abuse of students at the school. Parents made roughly 2,000 pink signs in support of he young students who testified against their teacher during a weeks-long trial. The signs across town read, "We stand with our girls" and "We believe them." "They know that these are houses where they can feel safe," said Severna Park parent Hannah Warzoah. "They know that they're believed and they're cared about." Students testify against Schlegel Five 10-year-old girls testified that Schlegel touched them inappropriately in class and withstood hours of cross-examination. In 2024, Schlegel was arrested and was accused of sexually abusing eight students during class time between 2022 and 2024. He denied every allegation. On June 18, a jury returned with a partial verdict, which found Schlegel not guilty. Jurors were unable to agree on the three remaining charges. The parents of the children who testified left the courtroom devastated. Schlegel was released the day after the verdict. In the meantime, the mother of one of the alleged victims told WJZ the signs are a "lifeline" and "Paint the Park Pink" is a call for justice, accountability, and healing. "Even though we all felt universally hurt and horrified last week, coming out of it is a movement that hopefully will prevent this from happening again," Warzoah said. Petition calls for Schlegel's firing Parents started a petition demanding that Anne Arundel County Public Schools immediately fire Schlegel, who had been suspended after his arrest. He became a teacher at Severna Park Elementary School in 2016. A spokesperson for AACPS told WJZ the district will finalize its review regarding Schlegel's job status and employment assignment, "by our obligations under state law." Parents were holding a community meeting at Hatton Beach on Tuesday to organize and shape their response.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- CBS News
Protesters oppose not guilty verdict for Maryland teacher accused of sexual abuse
Protesters rallied outside of an Anne Arundel County courthouse Wednesday to oppose the not guilty verdict for a Maryland teacher who was accused of sexually abusing students. Matthew Schlegel, a suspended teacher from Severna Park Elementary School, faced 18 counts of sexual abuse and sex offenses, though a jury was unable to agree on three of the charges. Schlegel is scheduled to appear for a bail review hearing Wednesday afternoon. His attorneys said he will likely be released from custody during the hearing. Ahead of the hearing, protesters gathered outside to advocate for child sex abuse survivors. Some held signs that read, "We believe them." Another read, "You failed our girls." Parents react to partial verdict The partial verdict came after a five-week trial, during which five young girls testified that Schlegel touched them inappropriately during classes. Schlegel was removed from the school and arrested after the alleged abuse between 2022 and 2024. After learning the verdict on Tuesday, the parents of some of the girls who testified expressed their disappointment. "After the last one to two years of mental health struggles and picking my daughter back up and then putting her through hell, to sit there and face the man that (allegedly) abused her, I see her as the strongest little girl I've ever met," one mother said. One of the parents testified that she found a note on her daughter's iPad, suggesting that Schlegel had been removed from the school due to inappropriate touching. Schlegel denied the allegations against him when he testified during his trial, the Baltimore Banner reported.
CBS News
17-06-2025
- CBS News
former Maryland teacher found not guilty of sexual abuse in partial verdict
A jury has agreed to a partial verdict in the trial for a former Maryland teacher who was accused of sexually abusing students between 2022 and 2024. Matthew Schlegel, 45, worked as a third-grade teacher at Severna Park Elementary School in Anne Arundel County. In 2024, he was charged with abusing eight students during class time. Mistrial declared for 3 charges On Tuesday, the jury agreed on a partial verdict, coming to a consensus on 18 of the charges against Schlegel. However, a mistrial will be declared as they were unable to agree on three of the charges. Jury deliberations in Schlegel's trial lasted three days. On Monday evening, the jury told the judge they were deadlocked on four of the 21 charges. Judge Pamela Alban used the Allen charge and asked members to keep trying to find common ground. By Tuesday afternoon, they informed Judge Alban that they had agreed on one more charge, but doubted they would be able to come to a consensus on the rest. Matthew Schlegel's former students testify Schlegel's five-week-long trial began on May 19. He faced 21 charges, including sexual abuse of a minor and assault. During the trial, some of Schlegel's alleged victims testified, including a 10-year-old girl who claimed the teacher touched her inappropriately on several occasions. The girl told the jury that after Schlegel was removed from the school, she spoke to another alleged victim who suggested the inappropriate touching may have been the reason he left. A mother of the alleged victim said she found the note on her daughter's iPad. The defense team emphasized that the girls were interested in "solving the mystery," and couldn't tell their parents they were joking. However, one of the girls told the courtroom she was afraid to report the incident because she was scared of getting in trouble. Schlegel also took the stand in his trial, denying the allegations against him. His wife was also called as a witness.
