EHHS Substitute Teacher Charged After Investigation Into 'Inappropriate Communications' With Students: PD

EAST HAVEN, CT — An arrest has been made following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct by a substitute teacher at East Haven High School, according to East Haven police Capt. Joseph M. Murgo.

Murgo said that on March 24, school administrators contacted police to share “concerns involving a substitute teacher and alleged inappropriate communications that occurred with students inside a classroom at East Haven High School.”

An investigation was immediately begun by School Resource Officer Nicole Burrell and the school administration, Murgo said, adding that the teacher was “immediately removed from the classroom and prohibited from teaching at East Haven High School or any other East Haven Public School pending the outcome of the investigation.”

As part of that response, families of students identified as potentially impacted were notified when this matter was first reported, Murgo said.

Murgo said that during the investigation, Burrell took statements from multiple students and school staff.
“The investigation revealed allegations that Rawad Muhammad Al-Hawari, 26, of East Haven, engaged students in conversations involving sexual topics, drug use, and other inappropriate subject matter while acting in his capacity as a substitute teacher,” Murgo said.

”Based on the totality of the investigation,” Burrell sought and obtained an arrest warrant.

Friday, Al-Hawari turned himself in to police. He was charged with:

• Risk of Injury to a Child (2 counts) C.G.S. 53-21
• Disorderly Conduct C.G.S. 53a-182

Al-Hawari was processed and was released on a $10,000 court-set bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday in New Haven.

The arrest warrant was released by police, and it outlines the investigation, including the statements of a number of students who described what the teacher was sharing as inappropriate.

In it, Al-Hawari, who was also a substitute teacher at the Joseph Mellillo Middle School, is alleged to have had a number of interchanges with students that included specific and graphic sex references. Those included language like "kinky" and "hot" and oral sex references. Those followed, an unnamed student said, Al-Hawari sharing details about his personal romantic relationships, including previously dating a coworker.

He is also alleged to have spoken with a student or students about drugs, including fentanyl and heroin.

For the most part, Al-Hawari denied any wrongdoing. He said he may have used profanity, for example, but said that he "didn't believe anything went to that sexual level."

In the warrant, there are several references to crude and explicit sexual and drug references he allegedly made.

He said "students often referred to him as the 'cool sub,'" and they came to him to talk about their relationships. He claimed he didn't engage, but rather just listened. He did, however, "admit" to speaking briefly about staff members being in a relationship ...and "did mention his ex-girlfriend" but said he did not go into detail.

Many of these conversations were heard, or overheard, by more than one, and sometimes many students in a classroom, and they were made to feel "uncomfortable."

Here's the warrant:

"As this matter involves juvenile victims, no further information will be released," Murgo said.

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