English | español | 中文 | français | tiếng Việt | 한국어| አማርኛ

A Message from Superintendent Jack R. Smith: Employee Arrest

Dear MCPS Community:

As you may be aware, Steven Katz, a substitute teacher with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), was arrested on Friday, March 16, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor and fourth degree sexual offense stemming from inappropriate contact with a Cloverly Elementary School student.

While the alleged behavior only stems from one school, I am sharing this information with the community because Mr. Katz worked as a substitute at multiple schools during his employment with MCPS. The principals from these schools notified their communities of the arrest over the weekend and are providing counseling and support to students as needed. Mr. Katz worked at the following schools: Brooke Grove, Burning Tree, Burnt Mills, Burtonsville, Olney, Seven Locks, Sherwood and Wayside elementary schools; William H. Farquhar, Robert Frost and Thomas W. Pyle middle schools; and John F. Kennedy, Paint Branch and Sherwood high schools.

Mr. Katz was a substitute with MCPS from May 2017 until March 12, 2018, when he was removed from his position after our school system was made aware of the allegations.
MCPS has fully cooperated with the Montgomery County Police Department and the State’s Attorney’s Office throughout the course of their investigation. Pursuant to our memorandum of understanding with these agencies and MCPS policies and regulations, our schools could not share any details broadly with the community before the arrest to avoid prejudicing the ongoing investigation.

The allegations in this case are upsetting and unacceptable. They represent a violation of MCPS policies and do not reflect the values of our school system. The safety of every student in our district is our top priority and a responsibility that we do not take lightly. We have and will continue to work every day to ensure our schools are safe places to learn.
If you or your child have any information that may be helpful to the investigation, I ask that you call the Special Victims Investigations Division of the Montgomery County Police Department at 240-773-5400.

Sincerely,
Jack R. Smith, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools