How superintendents handle serious allegations against substitute teachers in some CT districts
A former substitute teacher is accused of having sexual contact with children in two districts: Hamden and Branford. Parents have been alerted, and schools are now reviewing policies regarding subs.
But how are those decisions made, and what safeguards are in place if allegations are brought to light?
At Shepherd Glen Elementary School in Hamden, parents are still processing disturbing news. The arrest of a former substitute teacher, 24-year-old Jack Gill, accused of groping two students.
“That shouldn’t happen to no kids at all. You know, they’re innocent, innocent souls,” Billy Ruiz, a parent, said.
“Obviously, a child has been affected and had to report it. So, I’ll say kudos to that child to be brave enough to report it,” another unnamed mother said.
The allegations led to charges of sexual assault and illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16. Hamden’s superintendent said Gill worked at different schools in the district from September 2025 to January 2026 and had no prior complaints before two students came forward three months ago.
Branford police said Gill also worked one day at Mary T. Murphy Elementary School in January, and there are allegations he touched a student there, too.
Both districts said that Gill was an employee of Kelly Services, a staffing company that provides substitute teachers for them. Former Branford superintendent and Quinnipiac University education professor Hamlet Hernandez says this arrangement with an outside company is common.
He explained that a company like Kelly Services, through an agreement, would be responsible for vetting potential substitute teachers and having a pool of people qualified under state law.
“They were now responsible for recruiting, hiring, background checks, and then any sort of training that they would do,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez explained that if there are issues with a sub, a superintendent will initiate an investigation and contact the police and the state department of children and families if the issue involves criminal activity.
“We have to do that, and there’s timelines involved in that in order for us to report that,” he said.
Superintendents treat all complaints about a substitute seriously, Hernandez said, and if it rises to the level of inappropriate physical contact, their main priority is student safety.
“So if we’re going to err, we will always err, on the side of the child’s safety and the safety of others,” he said.
He says this could mean placing them on leave and keeping them off campus.
The Hamden school district said Gill passed a background check with Kelly Services. In an arrest warrant, Gill’s lawyer provided a statement he gave to the staffing company denying any wrongdoing when he worked in Branford.
Hernandez says investigations can take time and involve due process, but if the district and police find that a substitute teacher is liable on criminal charges, there should be no hesitation in taking action.
“I would tell you as a superintendent, I would not want that individual in my school,” Hernandez said.
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