PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Providence school board has ordered retraining for all principals and assistant principals at city schools in how to handle reports of sexual abuse.
The directive issued on Wednesday came less than a week after a gym teacher at the Harry Kizirian Elementary School was charged with child molestation stemming from alleged incidents involving three 11-year-old girls.
Rhode Island’s Department of Children, Youth and Families said school officials failed to notify police about the groping allegations in a timely manner, as required by law. They instead placed the gym teacher, James Duffy, on leave and began their own investigation.
The school board called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter.
Duffy, who had worked for the Providence school system since 1994, did not enter a plea at last week’s arraignment.
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