ROSWELL, Ga. — A teacher is out of a job and facing a sexual battery to a minor charge after police said he was accused of inappropriate contact.
Roswell Police said 39-year-old John Garcia turned himself in on Dec. 8. Garcia was a Spanish teacher and Seniors Summer Camp counselor at High Meadows School in Roswell.
Officers said they went to a home after the victim told his mother he was inappropriately touched by a teacher at High Meadows. Authorities conducted an investigation that led to a warrant for Garcia's arrest.
Bud Lichtenstein, interim head of school for High Meadows, told 11Alive that Garcia is no longer employed there. The school said they sent a letter home to parents on Monday, informing them of the situation.
"On the evening of November 16, 2019, we were informed that Mr. Garcia had allegedly engaged in repeated inappropriate touching of a child," the letter reads. "We immediately informed the Department of Family and Child Services (DFCS) of this situation. We have fully cooperated with the investigation by Roswell Police Department and DFCS."
The letter says after the school was notified, Garcia was placed on a leave of absence pending the investigation. However, he is no longer employed there now.
The school said Garcia started out as a substitute teacher in February 2017. He has worked three summers as a camp counselor and during the past two school years teaching Spanish to children in grades Pre-K through fifth grade.
"Because we recognize that many families will be communicating with their children and that this information will likely be discussed by children at school, our teachers will also be prepared to listen to and gently address any concerns during class or passing time," Lichtenstein's letter said." It is our intention to ensure that students and school get back to normal operations as soon as possible."
"I want to be clear that High Meadows School is working with the finest advisors in the country on this matter," he added. "We are handling this with the utmost seriousness and attention."
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