Lauderhill teacher accused of touching girl inappropriately
MIAMI - It took seven months and multiple agencies before a Lauderhill elementary school teacher landed behind bars.
Damian Jude Francis, 44, faces charges relating to the inappropriate touching of a minor earlier in the year.
CBS4 has since learned that before the arrest, the school kept him in the classroom.
A concerned parent reacted to the news as he picked up his son at Endeavour Primary Learning Center late Tuesday afternoon.
"First time I'm hearing about the incident, and I'm really, really shocked," said Corey Brown.
He's stunned to learn that third-grade teacher Francis was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct.
"At least clear the air before you have that teacher working there again," said Brown.
Francis has taught at the school since 2014, according to officials.
The Broward County School District released a statement:
"The District is aware of the arrest. This individual is being reassigned to a position away from the school and students."
On March 2nd of this year, Lauderhill police were made aware of allegations of inappropriate touching involving a first-grade student.
According to the complaint affidavit, the school's assistant principal revealed Francis had previously been accused of "a similar incident within the past six months with another female student."
The school investigated that previous incident, closed it, and allowed Francis to return in January this year after 2 or 3 months.
In that March 14th interview, the assistant principal discussed the more recent allegation, saying the other female student told her there were two occasions involving Mr. Francis.
She added where Francis' desk is located, "if a student went behind his desk, no one [in] the class would be able to see him touching the student."
In a voluntary interview on March 24th, detectives said:
"Francis did not have an explanation for hugging and touching the students (multiple times) and even agreed that he would not be okay with a male student hugging his female relative in the manner that he hugged and touched both of these students."
CBS4 contacted the school district to learn more about the employment policy when a teacher faces these allegations and why he was allowed back in the classroom after the first one.
