Ex-MCHS administrator sought in sexual assaults

Ex-MCHS administrator sought in sexual assaults

January 31, 2002

JOHN FONTES

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for former MCHS Assistant Principal John Fontes on 10 felony counts of sexual assault on a child and one misdemeanor charge of nonconsensual unlawful sexual contact.

Fontes, 50, who was hired by the Re-1 school board in July and began work Aug. 13, submitted a letter of resignation on Oct. 31 following reports of alleged sexual misconduct with female students and a subsequent interview with police on Oct. 19, according to school administrators.

The school board accepted his resignation at the regular board meeting Nov. 13.

Fontes reportedly has been working as a high-school principal in Rough Rock, Ariz., the school where he had worked prior to his tenure with District Re-1.

The arrest affidavit refers to four female students, three of whom are under the age of 15, who claim Fontes fondled their buttocks on separate occasions in the presence of other student witnesses in a Vocational Agriculture class.

The alleged assaults began in mid-September, according to the affidavit. Three of the students came forward Oct. 16 and contacted the school resource officer, although rumors of the allegations had been circulating throughout the school for some time, students said.

"He touched my butt and like grabbed it, with both hands," one alleged victim stated in the affidavit.

All of the other incidents involve similar behavior, according to the affidavit. All the alleged touching took place in the same classroom with other students present; in each case, Fontes allegedly touched a female student on the buttocks, the affidavit said.

In his interview with police on Oct. 19, Fontes denied the allegations, according to the affidavit.

Police were reportedly seeking Fontes in Arizona Wednesday to arrest him on charges of Class 4 felony sexual assault on a child (three counts), Class 4 felony sexual assault on a child in position of trust (one count), Class 3 felony sexual assault on a child in position of trust (three counts) and Class 1 misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact — no contact (four counts), according to Montezuma County Court records.

There is no word as to when an extradition hearing will be held.

Court documents list 28 potential witnesses to the alleged assaults, including numerous students, two teachers and current MCHS Principal Mark Rappe.

Re-1 Superintendent Bill Thompson declined comment Wednesday, stating that there was an ongoing investigation and that Fontes was no longer an employee of the district.

In an interview with the Journal in December, Thompson denied any knowledge of the allegations about Fontes.

Attempts to contact Rappe were unsuccessful late Wednesday afternoon.

District Attorney Joe Olt told the Journal Wednesday that extensive investigative work and thought went into the case before the charges were brought.

He added that the students were reliable and credible young adults whose claims should not be dismissed because they are "kids."

"We would not bring these charges frivolously," Olt said. "They tell us it happened; they are also very good students. There’s no reason in our minds not to believe them.

"We’re alleging that he did it, based on their statements."

Fontes’ replacement, MCHS Dean of Students Steve Whiteman, said that school administrators have done their best to provide a safe learning environment for students and will continue to do so.

"We’re always worried about our kids and their safety," Whiteman said Wednesday. "We respond to every report seriously — we have great kids and do everything we can to protect them."

The December issue of the MCHS student newspaper, the Panther Press, contained an article addressing Fontes’ "mysterious" resignation, citing some of the students who had made the allegations in the fall.

However, according to student editors of the paper, administrators "strongly discouraged" the paper from allowing the article to run because there was no documentation for the allegations. The issue, which had already gone to press, was subsequently altered to remove the story.

According to Fontes’ secretary in Arizona, he was out of the office and unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Fontes’ companion, former MCHS English teacher Sonya Halsey, who was hired by and resigned from Re-1 the same time as Fontes, was also not available at Rough Rock High School Wednesday afternoon.

According to school personnel, Halsey is a counselor at the Arizona school.