GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – Gainesville Police say they have arrested an assistant principal of a Catholic school in connection to a molestation case of another teacher.
The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) says on Wednesday, March 13, they arrested 41-year-old Ryan Michael Clemens on charges of child neglect and tampering with evidence. Clemens is the assistant principal of St. Patrick Interparish School.
Police say it stemmed from the incident involving Christoper Charles Chell, a physical education teacher at the school. Chell was arrested on molestation charges on March 9.
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Chell’s accused of engaging in a “pattern of behavior” that “escalated from inappropriate touching to criminal acts with several middle school girls at the school.
GPD says Clemens received a report of the “inappropriate behavior” by Chell towards one of the students.
The police department said in a news release that Clemens addressed the allegation by holding a “closed-door meeting” between Chell and the victim.
Police say Clemens told the victim that her alleged abuser [Chell] was telling the truth and disregarded her report.
They say he then concluded the investigation and didn’t take any further action. Authorities say days later, Clemens reported the incident to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) with “false information” that downplayed the incident.
According to the release, several days later, another teacher and group of students also reported Chell’s behavior. GPD says Clemens “failed to take action” to protect his students from Chell and did not submit any additional reports to DCF nor law enforcement.
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Due to the nature of the allegations, GPD believes there could possibly be more victims. If you know of any victims or have any information regarding the incident, they are encouraging you to contact them at 352-393-7734.
As of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, the school still has Clemens listed as the assistant principal on the website. According to Alachua County Jail records, he is being held without bond.