Kimberly A.

Hill
Superintendent of Schools
Statement, July 3, 2017

Good afternoon.

On Friday, the Charles County Sheriffs Office informed me of serious sexual misconduct
charges against a former employee of Charles County Public Schools. I am alarmed and
saddened by these allegations against a former employee that involve some of our students and
took place in one of our school buildings. This former employee, Carlos Bell, was an
Instructional Assistant at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School and a track coach at La Plata High
School. Mr. Bell was first hired by Charles County Public Schools in the fall of 2014. He worked
for a short time at J.P. Ryon Elementary School and also coached indoor track at Maurice J.
McDonough High School during the 2015-16 school year.

The Sheriffs Office began investigating Mr. Bell in December after receiving a complaint from
a high school parent who raised concerns about electronic messages from Mr. Bell to her child.
We immediately removed Mr. Bell from his duties as an employee and directed that he have no
contact with students or student athletes. No charges were filed against Mr. Bell until Friday,
June 30 after the Sheriffs Office reviewed videos stored on Mr. Bells personal electronic
devices.

Mr. Bell has not worked in any of our school buildings since December 22, 2016.

We have cooperated fully with the Sheriffs Office throughout this investigation, and we will
continue to work with Sheriff Berry and his staff to ensure that all facts are uncovered and
appropriate actions are taken.

In an organization that is all about children, these allegations are horrifying. To our parents and
community, who put their faith and trust in us to safeguard our children, I apologize on behalf of
Charles County Public Schools.

Student safety is job one, and clearly we have work to do to ensure that this will never happen
again. As a parent and a school leader, I commit to the following:

1. Continued full cooperation with the Charles County Sheriffs Office to ensure that this
individual is held accountable,
2. Support and counseling for the children who were victimized,
3. A comprehensive and transparent review of our safety protocols as well as a review of
curriculum regarding sexual assault and harassment so that all students and employees
are aware of how to recognize and report such incidences, and
4. Continued communication with our community and our stakeholders.

Today, I sent a message today to all CCPS staff members and parents who have provided the
school system with an email address. We encourage parents to talk with their children, and if
they report anything inappropriate whatsoever, call 1-800-225-5324.
Finally, the alleged actions of one employee do not represent the work of the more than 3,500
dedicated employees of Charles County Public Schools. We will do whatever is necessary to
earn your trust and to ensure that our schools are safe places for teaching and learning.