PHOTO: Brown County Jail
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — The Green Bay Area Public School District says they notified the proper authorities after a sexual abuse complaint was made against elementary school teacher David Villareal back in 2016.
Villareal, 46, was arrested on Wednesday, according to the jail’s online inmate database. Villareal is a 2nd Grade Bilingual Teacher at Baird Elementary.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and one count of repeated sexual assault of the same child.
According to a criminal complaint, three former students allege Villareal inappropriately touched them during class between 2015 and 2017. Each student told investigators Villareal would touch them inappropriately at his desk, and items were stacked on his desk, likely preventing other students from seeing anything.
One of the victims alleged Villareal inappropriately touched her “every day” while he was her second grade teacher.
Another victim alleges they filed a report back in 2016, but nothing was done.
When asked about the allegation that was raised in 2016, Villareal told police “he thought this was an accident where he was opening a file cabinet, and he may have brushed against the student’s bottom.” He said he was never disciplined.
School officials say they handed the complaint off to Brown County Child Protective Services.
Last week, a Green Bay Police officer met with Baird Elementary School Principal Michael Sheean about the incident, according to the complaint. The complaint states Sheean said “at the time the parent of the victim just wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again and that she wanted to pull her daughter out of the school.”
The officer asked Sheean if the teacher admitted to touching the victim and Sheean said the teacher told him, “I don’t know if I did that or not.”
The complaint also shows Sheean told the officer Villareal once showed up “intoxicated to training at district headquarters, but that didn’t involve students.” Sheean also described Villareal “as someone who wanted to be the cool teacher and be friends with the kids” and confirmed Villareal “is single and lives with his mom in Sheboygan.”
Police obtained school documents regarding the 2016 complaint, which showed “unwelcome physical contact” was marked, according to the criminal complaint. The document states the victim “was reluctant to say what happened” in a meeting where her mother and Villareal were present. The report later states the victim “did whisper to our translator that the teacher touched her after helping her with math and the teacher was sitting at his desk and she was in front of him.” The report also states the teacher “did apologize for any confusion and said I don’t know if I did that or not and if I did it wasn’t with any intention and mom could call him with any questions or concerns.”
According to the complaint, Villareal denied ever touching any of his students.
The full statement from the district reads as follows:
The Green Bay Area Public School District is cooperating with the Green Bay Police Department regarding the allegations of inappropriate contact between bilingual teacher David Villareal and former students at Baird Elementary School. The criminal report cited a previous allegation against Mr. Villareal in the 2016-2017 school year. Principal Michael Sheean had conducted an investigation into a complaint against Mr. Villareal. The steps taken by the District following the investigation were in accordance with District policy.
As a mandatory reporter of child maltreatment, Principal Sheean appropriately reported the complaint to Brown County Child Protective Services (CPS) per Board of Education policy and State law. Upon receipt of the complaint, CPS would have made the determination as to whether to involve law enforcement.
Comments