Assistant Principal Charged With Failure to Report Abuse

By LoudounExtra.com staff

Originally published at 12:53 p.m., May 5, 2008
Updated at 9:18 p.m., May 5, 2008

An assistant principal at Freedom High School has been charged with failure to report suspected child abuse or neglect, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said today.

Authorities said Ting-Yi Oei, 59, of Reston, was charged with the unclassified misdemeanor after he allegedly had an inappropriate cell phone photo of a juvenile female student at Freedom. Oei obtained the photo from another student at the school but never informed the child's parents, the school resource deputy or Child Protective Services, which is required by law, authorities said.

The sheriff's office said Oei allegedly obtained the photo on March 14. Authorities became aware of the incident about three weeks later.

Sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell wouldn't identify the nature of the photo, saying only that it showed a juvenile female student and was "inappropriate."

"It does not rise to the level of a criminal case," he said of the photo's contents.

The Loudoun school system on Monday placed Oei on administrative leave with pay, spokesman Wayde B. Byard said.

The misdemeanor charge is punishable by a fine up to $500.

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