"I am angered and deeply troubled by the allegations against Mr. Lievano. As Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School Principal Kimberly Hayden Williams noted in her letter to the school community, (included below) the charges are a violation of the core values of our school system. We hold our staff to the highest standards and we will not tolerate this type of behavior."

"MCPS remains committed to the safety of our students. We have developed and implemented staff training on preventing, recognizing and reporting child abuse as well as a curriculum on personal body safety for students at all grade levels. We will continue to take every appropriate measure to ensure our schools are safe and welcoming places to learn for students."

 

Read the letter from Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School below:

I am writing to inform you about the arrest of Mr. Mike Lievano, a security assistant at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School on one count of sexual abuse of a minor, one count of third-degree sex offense, and one count of fourth-degree sex offense by a person in a position of authority. According to the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), the charges stem from an alleged inappropriate relationship between Mr. Lievano and a 14 year-old student.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has been fully cooperating with Child Protective Services, MCPD, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office on this matter. Pursuant to our memorandum of understanding with these agencies and MCPS policies and regulations, the Special Victims Investigations Division of the Montgomery County Police Department requested us not to share any details broadly with the community until now to avoid prejudicing the ongoing investigation.

Mr. Lievano was placed on administrative leave after the allegations of his actions were shared with the school.

In addition to his role at Col. E. Brooke Lee, Mr. Lievano very briefly served as a part-time security assistant at Rockville High School from September 8, 2015 until February 12, 2016. Mr. Lievano then worked in private security until he was hired at Col. E. Brooke Lee in mid-February 2017.

These charges are troubling and completely unacceptable, particularly given that security staff are placed in schools to keep students safe. The charges represent a violation of the core values of our school and school system. This behavior does not reflect the principles of MCPS or our community and it will not be tolerated.

At Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School, we are committed to the well-being of all our students. A support team of school psychologists, counselors and pupil personnel workers from MCPS will join with our staff tomorrow, May 16, 2017 and will be available, as needed, to provide counseling and support to students.

Ensuring a safe learning environment for our students is a top priority. 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.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at 301-649-8100 if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Hayden Williams

Principal, Col. E. Brooke Lee MS