By Shereen Siewert
A 40-year-old special education teacher at the Stevens Point School District is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy he was mentoring.
Jo Leung Pang appeared Dec. 19 in Portage County Circuit Court for a bail bond hearing, two days after he was arrested. Circuit Judge Robert Shannon ordered Pang held on a $15,000 cash bond. Additionally, Pang is prohibited from having any contact with children younger than 18 and must stay at least 500 feet away from any school.
Police say the alleged assaults did not happen on school property. But the alleged victim is a boy that was assigned to Pang by the Portage Co. Health and Human Services Dept. for mentoring, prosecutors said Thursday.
Stevens Point School District: Staff member arrest unrelated to recent threats
A letter to parents and staff was issued on Thursday. The full letter, from Superintendent Craig Gerlach, reads:
“While we are unable to disclose confidential information regarding personnel, we did want to make sure you were aware of a serious event about which we have recently become aware that is unrelated to any of the recent threats. One of our staff members has been arrested.
“It is likely you will see reports regarding this staff member in the media over the next several days. We can confirm that the individual has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
“We will not be able to release additional information while investigations are continuing. We realize this will likely be a point of frustration, but we hope you understand and appreciate our position. Our first priority is to provide an environment in which all students are safe and can succeed. To that end, we will continue to evaluate current systems and procedures while addressing any concerns with careful diligence.”
Pang is on administrative leave from his position as special education teacher at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School in Stevens Point pending the outcome of the investigation. A court appearance is set for Jan. 6.
