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Last updated on Monday, March 9, 2015
(LAFAYETTE) - A Lafayette School Corporation employee was arrested Friday on felony charges of child molestation and sexual battery.
19-year-old Josemaria Gonzalez is a special education teacher's aid at Amelia Earhart Elementary School. His job is to assist in the classroom, but always with a supervising teacher present.
Police called Gonzalez on his cell phone and asked him to come to police headquarters as part of an investigation. He was eventually arrested and taken to the Tippecanoe County jail.
The superintendent says the victim, a 13-year-old girl, is not a student of the Lafayette School Corporation. The alleged incident did not occur at the elementary school.
Gonzalez will not be at school Monday and the school board is working toward terminating him.
Amelia Earhart Elementary School Principal Greg Louk issued the following statement:
"This afternoon we were made aware of allegations of sexual misconduct between one of our paraprofessionals and an underage female who lives in his neighborhood. This paraprofessional worked in a self-contained emotional disabilities program here at Earhart where many adults are working with our students in the classroom. The alleged incident leading to his arrest did not involve any Earhart of LSC student and did not occur on Earhart or LSC property. Due to the serious nature of the allegation that led to an arrest, we are in the process of terminating his employment. The safety of our students is our top priority."
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