Crime & Safety

Julius West Teacher Arrested for Sex Offenses

Police say Scott Duane Spear had sex with a 16-year-old who he taught and coached.

A Rockville man who teaches at and coaches boys basketball and track at was arrested Thursday and is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student, county police said in a news release.

Scott Duane Spear, 47, of the 1600 block of Auburn Avenue in Rockville, is charged with two counts of fourth-degree sex offense.

Police said the department’s Family Crimes Division received information on Friday from an unnamed person who said that a 16-year-old Richard Montgomery student had told the source that she had sex with Spear.

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Spear, who teaches social studies at Julius West, had been the student’s teacher when she was in eighth grade and had been her track coach since 2009, according to police.

A police investigation revealed that in May or June of last year the student told the unnamed source that she had sex with an older man, but gave no further details, the release said. In November, the student told the same person that the older man was Spear, her track coach at Richard Montgomery, police said.

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Spear and the girl were in “constant contact” with each other via cell phone during and after school and on weekends, according to the police news release. In April or May of last year, Spear asked the girl to meet, police said. She agreed and Spear took the girl to a Rockville residence where they had sex, the release said.

Spear took the girl to the same residence the next night and they again had sex, the release said.

Spear was arrested without incident at his home this afternoon, said Officer Janelle Smith, a county police spokeswoman. Bond information was unavailable as of 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Attempts to reach Spear on Thursday afternoon were unsuccessful.

Spear has been placed on administrative leave, said Dana Tofig, a county schools spokesman. “That is with pay for now, but there will be an investigation and the status could change based on what is discovered,” Tofig said.

School counselors will be on “heightened awareness based on these circumstances” and will be available to speak with students on Friday, Tofig said.

Julius West principal Nanette Poirier sent the following email to parents Thursday afternoon:

“This is Nanette Poirier, principal of JWMS. I am contacting you to share information with you regarding the arrest of a member of our staff. The arrest occurred too late for us to send a letter home to you today, which is why I am sharing this difficult news by phone. Mr. Scott Spear, an 8th grade world studies teachers, was arrested by Montgomery County Police this afternoon and charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. This minor is not a student at JWMS. Mr. Spear is on administrative leave at this time. Counselors will be available at the school tomorrow to speak to students who are upset about this matter. I will send a letter home tomorrow. Please know that the safety and security of your children is of the utmost importance to me and to the JW staff.”

Richard Montgomery principal Nelson McLeod sent the following email to parents Thursday evening:

"Good evening. This is a message from the principal of Richard Montgomery High School, calling to share information with you regarding the arrest of one of our coaches. The arrest occurred too late for us to send a letter home to you today, which is why I am sharing this difficult news by phone. Mr. Scott Spear, a Boys Varsity Basketball coach and Head Cross Country Track coach at Richard Montgomery High School and a teacher at Julius West Middle School, was arrested by Montgomery County Police on Thursday and charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The minor is a student at Richard Montgomery High School. Mr. Spear is on administrative leave at this time. Counselors will be available at the school tomorrow to speak to students who may be upset about this matter. Please know that the safety and security of your children is of the utmost importance to me and to the entire Richard Montgomery staff. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions."


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