Providence principal who failed to report abuse allegations won't be rehired

PROVIDENCE — The Providence School Department is not rehiring an elementary school principal who the District Court found guilty of failing to report allegations that a gym teacher had sexually abused young girls at the school.

Laura Hart, a spokeswoman for the school department, said Tuesday, "We are not renewing Violet LeMar's contract for 2019-2020."

In January 2018, a District Court judge convicted Harry Kizirian Elementary School Principal LeMar of a single misdemeanor count of failing to report alleged sexual abuse of a child to DCYF within 24 hours under a new state reporting law.

Judge James Caruolo sentenced LeMar to a one-year suspended term with probation and ordered her to perform 150 hours of community service at a shelter for women who had been sexually abused.

Several girls testified during the trial that James Duffy, the gym teacher, groped their breasts, rubbed his stomach on one of the girl's backs, and stroked their arms.

According to testimony, human resource staff questioned dozens of students about Duffy without their parents and produced a 68-page report documenting the allegations.

LeMar testified that the two girls didn't tell her that Duffy touched them in May. She told the court that she had called the police and been involved in a search for two missing students that same day.

She didn't call DCYF, however, nor did she file a report to the district until July 5, nearly two months after the alleged incidents took place.

Lemar has appealed her conviction to Superior Court, where it remains pending.

Duffy has been charged with six counts of second-degree child molestation and one count of simple assault and/or battery. The charges are pending.

-- With reports from Journal Staff Writers Mark Reynolds and Katie Mulvaney

lborg@providencejournal.com

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