ORLANDO, Fla. — The principal of Orlando Science Charter School was arrested Tuesday on two counts of failing to report child abuse.
Investigators said Abdulaziz Yalcin, 35, sent text messages and emails saying he did not want police to be notified of allegations that a school employee, Jaelen Alexander, had sent inappropriate pictures to students and offered at least one of them $50 to take inappropriate pictures of himself.
Channel 9 reported in 2019 that officials said the school waited more than a month to notify police about the incident.
The school said it had conducted its own internal investigation before notifying police.
But the state requires teachers and school employees to report abuse immediately.
An arrest affidavit said the dean of students first learned about the allegations March 25, 2019, notifying Yalcin the following day.
Read: OCPS chair wants district to investigate Orlando charter school that delayed reporting abuse
“I believe we need to involve the (school resource office) at this point,” the dean said in a text. But Yalcin allegedly said to not reach out to the SRO.
Officials said the pair instead met with Alexander, who resigned March 29, 2019.
On April 12, 2019, Yalcin said Alexander wrote an apology and mentioned more potential victims, but officials said the school resource officer was not notified until April 26, 2019 -- only after a parent threatened to contact news media about the incident.
Read: School administrator didn’t report allegations of sexual misconduct at charter school
Records said both the dean and Yalcin’s boss, the school’s executive director, knew about the allegations and also did not notify police or the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The Orlando Police Department would not say if more people could face charges.
Yalcin was booked into the Orange County Jail but has since been released.
Cox Media Group
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