School Board Member Arrested
Pr. George's Man Surrenders on Child Sex Charges

By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

A Prince George's County school board member accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student he once taught surrendered to county police yesterday afternoon.

Accompanied by family members and two lawyers, Nathaniel B. Thomas arrived at police headquarters in Landover shortly after 3:30 p.m. yesterday, four days after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on a charge of third-degree sex offense. Thomas, dressed in jeans and a red checked shirt and betraying no emotion, greeted a reporter but answered no questions about the charges or why he had not turned himself in to police sooner.

Thomas, 26, was taken into custody by police officers in plain clothes. After a short conversation, he was taken behind a door into the station. Thomas's family left immediately, answering no questions. His attorneys, Stephen Williams and Michael Worthy, held a brief news conference outside.

They did not address the charges against Thomas: that he had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy at Forestville Military Academy while he was a teacher of U.S. history and government. According to charging documents, Thomas engaged in sexual acts with the student at least three times from March to October 2005. The documents said that Thomas also allowed the student to watch pornographic videos.

The documents said the information came from the student, now 17, other witnesses and John E. Deasy, the superintendent of Prince George's County schools.

Thomas, a graduate of Suitland High School, worked for the school system from 2002 to 2004. He was elected to an at-large school board seat in November, becoming the board's youngest member.

The case came to the attention of authorities in the course of a separate investigation ordered by the school board into whether Thomas took an 18-year-old Forestville senior to a conference in San Francisco last month.

The third-degree sex offense charge, a felony, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if Thomas is convicted. Under Maryland law, a person 21 years or older may not engage in a sexual act with someone 15 or younger.

The attorneys said that they had instructed Thomas not to surrender until they could be assured of acceptable conditions for his bail and release. State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said he had expected Thomas to surrender Monday, but the attorneys said no such agreement existed.

"We have been in contact with the responding detectives ever since Friday," Worthy said. "I have never turned in a client until I feel comfortable with the nature of the charges so that I can properly advise them. . . . The reason he did not turn himself in is because his attorneys advised him not to."

Williams said, "Our intention would be to make sure he was in the most positive environment we could get him in," adding that the best place for Thomas was with his family.

Neither attorney would say where Thomas had been for the past four days. Williams said Thomas had "prearranged plans," made before the arrest warrant was issued, but did not state what they were.

"We're glad Mr. Thomas turned himself in, and we're looking forward to moving forward with the case," Ivey said.

Bail was set at $85,000. According to Vicki Duncan, a spokeswoman for the county's detention center in Upper Marlboro, Thomas was never brought there. Thomas was barred from having contact with people younger than 18.

The attorneys said Thomas would not resign his school board post but would request a leave of absence.

The school board will meet in closed session this morning to discuss the investigation into the trip to San Francisco, which is not being treated as a criminal matter. The board is expected to decide whether to ask the State Board of Education to remove Thomas from his seat, a move that would have to be approved by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).

If Thomas is removed, current law calls for County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) to appoint a temporary successor subject to the approval of the County Council.