Five elementary pupils accuse school aide of sex abuse
Police are investigating the claims against Calvin Darden, 38. He couldn’t be reached for comment because the phone number listed for him has been disconnected.
The students, boys ages 9-12, said Darden exposed himself and touched them during incidents at his home and in a secluded classroom where he sometimes supervised in-school suspension.
School Principal Raymond Woodard said Darden, who got high marks on his last two evaluations, also worked as a cafeteria monitor and tutor.
He said in-school suspension sometimes was held in a classroom near the boiler on the lower level of the school that Darden also used as an office.
“It’s isolated. I never knew it was there,” Springfield police detective JoAnn Gregory said Thursday.
She said officers had searched the classroom, Darden’s home about a mile from the school and other locations.
According to a Feb. 10 police report, a 10-year-old student said Darden exposed himself and tried to molest him during tutoring in the classroom. Another student told police he was assaulted at Darden’s home.
School officials said they have quit using the room for now.
“It’s pretty separate,” said Karen Shoemaker, co-chairwoman of the Parent Teacher Organization. “I had just become aware of it this year, and I didn’t think it was a good idea. It’s important that there is always somebody else around when you work with children.”