Lincolnia, VA - Holmes Middle School Teacher Charged with Sexual Abuse

Holmes Middle School Teacher Charged with Sexual Abuse of Students

According to the Fairfax County Times, a teacher at Holmes Middle School has been arrested on sexual abuse charges.

The Fairfax County times reported that Anjali D. Chatham has been charged with two counts of forcible sodomy of a victim under twelve, aggravated sexual assault of a victim under thirteen, and producing obscene materials involving a minor.

At the time of the assaults, Chatham was working at Barden Elementary School. Chatham has worked with Fairfax County Public Schools for about 29 years. He worked at Mount Eagle Elementary School in the years 1992-1993, Fort Belvoir Elementary School between 1998-2000, Groveton Elementary School from 2000 to 2004, Lorton Station Elementary School from 2004 to 2006, Terra Centre Elementary School from 2006 to 2010, and Newington Forest Elementary School between 2010-2017.

There have been five Fairfax County Public School teachers arrested for having sexual contact with a student in the last three years.

Legal Options of Victims Sexually Abused by a Teacher

Attorney contributor Kevin Biniazan, an experienced sex abuse lawyer, represents victims who have been sexually abused by a teacher. In an interview, Kevin shared insight on the legal options of victims abused. Below are his thoughts:

“When parents send their children to school, they trust their children will be provided a safe environment to learn. Schools have a legal obligation to uphold their student’s safety. Sadly, there have been many reports of teachers sexually abusing students at their schools. To attempt to provide a safe learning environment, schools should implement security measures. For example, guards and cameras.”

“Victims who have been sexually abused should acquire the services of an experienced sexual abuse lawyer to explore all their legal options. Sometimes sexual abuse that occurs at a school is a result of negligence on behalf of an employer. An example of negligence is not having adequate security measures in place. In such cases, victims and their families should know they may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the school.”

Sources:

Fairfax County Times