Ex-East Haven substitute arrested, accused of inappropriate conduct with students
A substitute teacher at East Haven High School was arrested and is accused of communicating with students inappropriately, according to an arrest warrant.
Police said 26-year-old Rawad Muhammad Al-Hawari engaged students in conversations involving sexual topics, drug use, and other inappropriate subject matter while in the classroom.
He turned himself in to East Haven police on May 29 after an arrest warrant was issued following an investigation by the school and police that began in March.
He was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct.
According to the arrest warrant, the investigation started on March 24 after a student reported that Al-Hawari discussed sexual topics, personal relationships, drug use, and the private lives of school staff members during class.
At one point, the student told police that Al-Hawari also made inappropriate comments about her mother.
The East Haven Police Department school resource officer at the high school, Nicole Burrell, investigated the matter and obtained statements from multiple students and staff. Al-Hawari was immediately removed from the classroom, police said.
During interviews, multiple students reported hearing conversations involving sex and drugs, with several describing the discussions as inappropriate and uncomfortable. Some students also told investigators they believed Al-Hawari appeared to be flirting with students, according to the warrant.
A teacher whose classroom was across the hall reported hearing loud, vulgar conversations coming from the room and later raised concerns with administrators, the warrant stated.
Al-Hawari denied to police that he was making inappropriate sexual comments to students, though investigators said he acknowledged discussing staff members and aspects of his personal life while serving as a substitute teacher, according to the warrant.
“We do not believe there are any more victims related to this investigation but we are always open to talking to anyone who has further information to provide or who have had similar encounters with him,” East Haven Police Department Captain Joseph M. Murgo said.
Al-Hawari was released on a $10,000 bond and will appear in court this Friday in New Haven.
Because the case involves children, police said no additional information will be released.
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