"Brockton High teacher charged with rape of student" by Melissa Hanson | Globe correspondent October 31, 2014
A Brockton High School teacher was arrested and charged with the rape of one of his students, prosecutors said Friday.
Joaquim Andrade, 56, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brockton District Court to charges of enticement of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, rape of a child, and aggravated rape of a child, according to the office of Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.
The female victim was one of Andrade’s students, Cruz’s office said in a statement. The rape reportedly took place on Oct. 7 in Brockton, but not on school grounds.
Andrade was held on $20,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with the student and no unsupervised contact with children under age 17, the district attorney’s office said. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
Brockton police are investigating the case, prosecutors said.
One of Andrade’s lawyers, Jeffrey A. Denner, said by telephone on Friday that by next week, “it will be clear Mr. Andrade has done absolutely nothing wrong.”
Andrade “has worked for a long time, very successfully,” Denner said, and also had a radio show in which he discusses issues in education.
“After speaking to him in great length yesterday, it is my understanding that he has not broken any criminal laws,” Denner said.
Andrade will return to court next week, according to the lawyer, who suspects his bail will be lowered.
Schools Superintendent Kathleen A. Smith said in a statement Friday that the teacher, whom she did not identify, had been placed on leave. The high school notified all students’ parents of the investigation.
“School administrators have been working with the victim and her family, and counseling and support services were provided to her and will continue to be available to any student who needs it,” Smith said.
She also said she was proud that the student came forward with the allegations.
“The individual in question is a long-term teacher who obviously has rights, both in regard to the court system and in regard to his employment status,” Smith said. “Rest assured, however, that the Brockton Public Schools will deal with this situation as aggressively as it can.”
On the Brockton schools website, Andrade is listed as staff in the bilingual department.
The district attorney’s office released no additional information on Friday night.
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