HOWARD COUNTY — A Howard County teacher faces charges for the alleged sex abuse of a 15-year-old student at Mt. Hebron High School.
Police were told about the abuse on May 2 by a friend of the victim.
Detectives believe that the teacher, 44-year-old Matthew Barth, abused the student on multiple occasions inside the school.
According to police, detectives reviewed electronic records which showed that there was inappropriate contact between the teacher and the victim.
Police say that the abuse had been going on for four months.
Barth has been a teacher at the school since 2003.
Superintendent Michael J. Martirano released a note to parents that stated the following:
Dear Community,
As many of you may have heard, the Howard County Police Department charged a Mt. Hebron High School teacher, Matthew Barth, with “sexual abuse of a minor and a third-degree sex offense.” He has been a teacher at Mt. Hebron since 2003 and it has been his only HCPSS school of employment. He was placed on administrative leave and removed from access to students when HCPSS was informed of the accusation. This is an ongoing police investigation and we are unable to share other information at this time. The police press release may be found online.
As a parent and an educator, I find this news troubling and upsetting. If you suspect that your child may have had an inappropriate encounter with this individual – or any individual – please contact the Howard County Police Department Detectives at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov. In addition, the Howard County Police Department has asked that anyone with information related to this matter call them directly at 410-313-STOP.
Staff who work in the school system are held to the highest standard as we are entrusted to take care of the children and keep them safe in this community. I am deeply concerned and disturbed at this news and I know that like me, many of our staff, parents and guardians will have concerns. As we process this news, we have to make sure that we put every support in place to help our students who are impacted by this news or may have difficulty processing this. School administrators and staff at all schools are prepared to provide support for students. The school system website provides resources to assist you with these difficult conversations and a few suggestions are included below.
As you have these difficult conversations at home with your children, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child(ren)’s principals, counselors, teachers or community superintendents if we can provide any support whatsoever. Every school’s administrative team and Student Services staff are prepared to assist any students who are upset by this news.
Having Difficult Conversations With Your Child
· Discuss what they know – Ask what your child has been hearing and what they have been talking about with their friends.
· Talk about healthy relationships – Healthy relationships should always be based on respect, safety, and explicit consent.
· Talk about caring for their friends - Talking about how to be a good friend can show your teen that you trust them to do the right thing and allow you to communicate about safety practices without sounding like you’re targeting their personal behavior.
· Keep the conversation going – Discussions about sexual abuse and sexual assault are prevalent on social media and in our society. By maintaining an open conversation with your children, you can help prepare them for situations they may face now or in the future.
I am very sorry to have to share this upsetting news with you. As we process the news, and support our children in schools, I encourage you to contact your child’s administrator, counselors or teachers if we can provide any additional support to your family.
Barth is charged with sexual abuse of a minor and a third degree sex offense. He is currently in custody in North Carolina awaiting extradition.
