A middle school art teacher has been placed on leave following his arrest for possession of child pornography, according to a letter by the school district obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Baltimore County Public Schools teacher Craig Clontz was arrested Thursday and charged with five counts of child pornography by the county police, according to the letter. Clontz has been an employee in the school district since 2021, working at two middle schools within the district. (RELATED: ‘Hungover, Horny, And At Work’: Oregon Preschool Teacher Suspended By State After Graphic Tweets)
“These charges are deeply troubling and are a violation of our school’s core values and the values of our school system,” the school district wrote to parents. “We understand that students and staff who knew Mr. Clontz may have questions and concerns about this arrest and may need to speak with someone to process their feelings in a safe space.”
A teacher directs students to their rooms to get their instruments for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program during the String Fling concert at the Lockerman Bundy Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 12, 2019. (Photo credit JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The child pornography obtained by Clontz does not appear to feature any students within the school district, the school stated. The school will be providing counseling services to students through the next week.
The school district referred the DCNF to their letter to parents and the Baltimore County Police Department did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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