Dcps places Banneker teacher on leave after former student alleges sexual abuse

A 22-year-old former student has come forward with allegations that a coach and teacher at Banneker High School sexually abused him when he was 17, prompting the school district to place the staff member on leave and send a letter to parents. The disclosure has spurred an active police inquiry and heightened concern among families and students.

Development details

The accuser, identified as 22-year-old Rashad Williams, says the incident occurred in July 2020 when he was 17 and happened at the coach’s home. Williams described waking to an act of sexual contact and said he left the residence and cut off contact afterward. He later posted about the episode on social media and spoke publicly about the experience.

The district moved swiftly on the administrative side: parents received a letter from the school informing them that the teacher is on leave, and officials have limited public comment because personnel matters are confidential. D. C. police have confirmed there is an investigation that dates back to last summer. No criminal charges have been filed and the teacher has not been publicly identified.

D. C. Public Schools (dcps) has stated that it is required to maintain confidentiality regarding personnel matters and that it treats allegations of employee misconduct with the utmost seriousness. That statement frames the district’s current posture while the inquiry proceeds.

Dcps response and escalation

The allegation first surfaced on social media, and the accuser later provided a longer account that includes details about his relationship with the coach at the time. Williams said he occasionally went to the coach’s home to hang out and that the coach would provide marijuana to him and other recent graduates, a dynamic Williams described as offering camaraderie when he felt isolated.

Williams has recounted that he was traumatized by the incident, saying he cried and later tried to act as if nothing had happened so he could get home. He has said nothing further occurred after he ended contact with the coach. The pandemic context — with schools largely closed soon after the alleged incident — was part of the timeline Williams described.

What makes this notable is the convergence of a named accuser, a public social-media disclosure and a formal police inquiry, which together produced immediate administrative action by the school and alarm among families at the school.

Immediate impact

Parents and students at Banneker have expressed upset following the public allegations and the school’s notification. The most direct administrative consequence has been placing the teacher on leave and communicating that status to families in a letter sent home. The police investigation, which law enforcement says stretches back to last summer, remains an active matter.

For the accuser, Williams says the episode had a lasting emotional effect and prompted him to distance himself from the coach. For the school community, the combination of the allegation and official inquiry has raised questions about supervision, trust in staff, and the district’s ability to respond to complaints about employees.

Forward outlook

The immediate steps now on the record are the administrative leave for the teacher and the open investigation by D. C. police. No charges have been filed to date, and district officials have limited what they can disclose while personnel and law-enforcement processes are underway. The district’s confidentiality requirements mean further public comment from dcps will be constrained until those processes advance.

The next confirmed milestones are limited to the ongoing law-enforcement inquiry and any subsequent administrative or legal actions that might follow; the school’s current actions reflect those two parallel processes. Families and community members are awaiting additional information that could emerge from the police investigation or future district communications.