MCPS Teacher Charged With Sexually Abusing Student: Police

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Montgomery County Public Schools teacher was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexually abusing a 14-year-old female student, police said.

Maxwell Alexander Bero, 30, of Clarksburg, is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact and exchanging inappropriate sexual materials and messages with the young girl. The offenses occurred from Aug. 2014 to June 2015, when the female victim was an eighth-grade student and Bero was her teacher at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School in Silver Spring, according to police. They say the sexual interactions happened after school hours on school property.

Montgomery County police began investigating Bero on July 28. It is not immediately known who tipped off police.

On Wednesday, Bero was served with an arrest warrant, charging him with offenses to include sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of committing a third-degree sexual offense.

Bero — who recently ran against David Trone for U.S. Congress — now teaches at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg. He has been placed on administrative leave, according to police.

MCPS spokesman Derek Turner confirmed that Bero has worked at various schools in the district since 2009. In 2013, he was a substitute teacher at Wheaton High School and served as head coach of the boys' varsity lacrosse team and assistant coach of the varsity football team. He worked at Lee Middle School from 2013 to 2016.

In a letter to the MCPS community, Turner called Bero's charges "deeply concerning and unacceptable" and said they "represent a complete breach of trust, responsibility, integrity and the law."

"We hold our employees to a high standard of character and these allegations violate that. Please know that the safety of our students is our top priority and we are committed to ensuring we maintain a safe learning environment for all," he wrote.

Turner added that counseling staff will be available to connect with students virtually this week.

Those who have additional information are asked to call Montgomery County police at 240-773-5400.