Employee at a D.C. public charter school charged with sex crimes

A 41-year-old man who works at a D.C. public charter school has been arrested and charged with several counts of child sexual abuse, D.C. police said.

Jimmon Watson, the special education coordinator of Parkside High School in Northeast, faces charges including first-degree child sexual abuse.

D.C. police said the abuse occurred between June 2017 and May 2018. In court papers, police said the incidents involved three juvenile victims — one current student at the school and two students who previously attended the school. Watson was arrested Wednesday.

Emily E. Silberstein, the CEO of Chavez Schools, which runs Parkside, said in a letter to the Chavez community that Watson was removed from campus “within minutes of the allegation.”

He was a Chavez employee for three years, and the school conducted a background check on him, the letter said.

“Chavez will follow up with our own internal investigation and will take any steps necessary to ensure the safety of our students,” she wrote. “In the meantime, our priority is to ensure that our students have access to counseling services and support.”

Parkside opened in 2005 and serves students in grades nine through 12, according to its website. It is part of the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, which include campuses in Capitol Hill and Shaw.

Perry Stein contributed to this report.