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A teacher at South River High School in Edgewater has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a student. 37-year-old Meredith Susan Barry Martin was arrested on February 5 and has been charged with five counts of sexual abuse of a minor, eight counts of 4th-degree sex offense involving a person in the position of authority, and two counts of perverted practice.
Officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department were called to the high school on January 30 shortly after 4 p.m. on reports of a possible sex offense. School administrators told the police that they had received information regarding possible inappropriate contact between Martin and a student earlier that day.
The Anne Arundel County School Board immediately banned Martin from having any further contact with children.
The Anne Arundel County Child Abuse Unit and members from the Department of Social Services conducted several interviews with possible witnesses and Martin. The alleged victim also submitted a written statement to the Anne Arundel County Board of Education which confirmed that Martin had inappropriate contact with the victim, according to the police.
Police have asked any other potential victims and anyone else with related information to call the Anne Arundel County Child Abuse Unit at 410-222-4733.
Attorney Aaron Blank is a sex abuse victims lawyer who helps victims and their families file civil lawsuits against sexual predators and negligent third parties. Aaron has some thoughts to share on the legal rights of those who have been sexually abused by teachers and other school employees:
Communities trust teachers to be positive influences in the lives of their students. While most teachers aspire to this ideal, there have also been many cases of predatory teachers sexually abusing their students. These predators must be held accountable for their crimes in criminal courts. Additionally, there are some cases in which the victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the school.
Schools can be held liable for abuse by teachers in cases where negligence enabled the abuse to occur. For example, a school could be considered negligent if there had been previous reports of sexual misconduct involving a teacher but no action was taken to address those complaints.
If you or your child is a victim of sexual abuse by a teacher, you can learn more about your legal rights by contacting our sex abuse victims lawyers for a free consultation.
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