Concord School Board Opens New Investigation Into Leung Rape Case

CONCORD, NH — The Concord School Board decided on Wednesday night to open a new, independent investigation into the Primo "Howie" Leung student rape case after new case information was revealed to the board. In a letter to the community, board members didn't reveal specifics about the new information but did mention that it dates back to December 2014. At around that time, a then-Rundlett Middle School student reported allegations of possible inappropriate behavior between Leung and a student to then-Rundlett Principal Tom Sica.

According to the witness, she was brought into a meeting between Leung and Sica to describe what she had witnessed – allegations of Leung and a student being cozy and flirty in the hallways of the school, behavior that was noticed by others and deemed abnormal. She was convinced not to say anything about what she had seen, was told that she was making up the allegations, and later, suspended from school, and forced to undergo psychiatric treatment before returning to Rundlett.

ALSO READ:

• How A Distinguished Concord Teacher Became A Student Rape Suspect
• Students Saw Concord Teacher Kiss, Hug Another Student: Docs
• Should The Concord School District Have Responded Faster To Case?
• NH Teacher Held Without Bail After Bay State Arraignment
• Concord Teacher Accused Of Raping Student In Newton, MA

Leung was kept on at Rundlett – due to being a distinguished educator– and is accused of grooming at least one student at the school, which led to the rape allegations at the Fesenden School in Newton, Massachusetts, in 2015, and 2016. Sica later became the principal at Concord High School and Leung was brought over to the school to work in the special education department.

Leung was arrested in April on two aggravated rape of a child charges and an indecent assault and battery charge on a child under 14 — all felonies, and is being held in a jail in Massachusetts. Concord police have not issued charges against him and believe there could potentially be more victims.

The Concord School Board, after receiving this new information, held an emergency meeting on June 12, 2019, and agreed to begin a new investigation of the case.

The board noted that it had a great deal of respect for family privacy and has certain laws it must obey concerning student safety. When parents reach out to officials, they hope to address their concerns and seek reconciliation, when warranted.

"Both the Board and the Administration are committed to ensuring that we have policies, procedures and training that enhance student safety," the letter to the community stated. "This will include protocols on how to handle both directly and indirectly expressed student and staff concerns."

The board will be meeting in July to develop and revise its policy on these issues. They are asking for the public to offer suggestions by email and attend public meetings to share their concerns.

"The Board is committed to creating a climate and culture which elevates student safety and rebuilds community trust," the letter noted. "Our vision is that all Concord students develop a passion for learning, experience excellence in their lives and believe that they have the ability to shape the future of their lives and communities."

Read the full letter to the community here in .pdf format.

Concord NH Patch will update this story when more information becomes available.