Primo ‘Howie’ Leung Could Face More Charges In Concord Now: Follow-Up

CONCORD, NH — The guilty plea and light sentence received by a former Concord High School teacher who raped and sexually assaulted a New Hampshire girl in Massachusetts during two summer programs in 2015 and 2016 may not be the end of the road for his legal issues.

The Concord Police Department confirmed Wednesday that Primo “Howie” Leung, 40, who was sentenced to six to seven years in prison in a plea deal for a case with a 10-year minimum on a single count, may face charges in the city.

“Now that the charges have been pled to in Massachusetts,” Deputy Police Chief John Thomas said, “we are going to revisit the charges we have here in Concord.”

At this point, it is unknown what charges Leung may face in the city. But charges or rumored charges have lingered over the case during the four years and four months since he was arrested.

Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Brant alluded to possible crimes in Concord as part of the timeline of the assaults against Fabiana McLeod.

Brant said Leung’s advances toward her began when she was 13 and a student at Rundlett Middle School. While she was not one of his students, he began kissing her and forcing her to fondle him, the prosecutor said. The activity led Leung to invite her for two summers to participate in an English Language Learner summer camp at the Fessenden School in Newton — which led to the felony rape and sexual assault charges against him in Middlesex County Superior Court.

During the plea deal and admission of guilt Wednesday, Ghazi Al-Marayati, Leung’s attorney, requested any talk of allegations against his client in New Hampshire be removed as part of the plea and context of the admission. Brant and the judge agreed after some back and forth.

Accusations of sexual activity were also included in civil case documents by the McLeod family against the Fessenden School and Leung, which noted, “In February 2015, Leung’s relationship with Fabiana turned sexual.” McLeod was 13 at the time. This was months before he invited her to the first summer camp. Civil case documents also accused Leung of forcing McLeod to “touch his genital area with her hand” while in a vehicle during trips between Concord and Newton to attend the camp.

The civil case documents also accused Leung of forcibly raping McLeod in a New Jersey hotel while on a trip to New York, New York, as part of the Fessenden program, with her, other Concord students, and attendees of the ELL program.

During the discovery of the civil case, it noted McLeod was excited to be attending Concord High School and leaving “Leung and the Rundlett Middle School … finally behind her” only to be “shocked to discover that Leung had arranged a transfer to the Concord High School.” She was also stunned to find that her locker was “next to Leung’s new office.”

The director of affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Amanda Grady Sexton, appeared surprised by the verdict and hoped other jurisdictions would become involved in pursuing more charges.

“There must be accountability for those who use their position of authority to sexually exploit children in their care,” she said. “Sadly, today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts failed to truly hold Howie Leung responsible for his horrific crimes. However, we know that it’s still possible for other jurisdictions to seek legal justice for the children Leung harmed.”

Grady Sexton applauded “the tremendous strength of the young survivor in this case and know that her courage will help other victims to disclose sexual abuse and to begin the healing process.” She said perpetrators would “no longer be able to rely on a culture of silence when we ensure that children are educated about sexual abuse and believed when they speak out.”

New Hampshire Department of Education staffers were integral to not only discovering some of the criminal activity by Leung but also initiating a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct for not only teachers but their supervisors and other educators. After he was arrested, the department suspended his teaching credential. Staffers also convinced him to be placed on a national database, ensuring he would never be hired as an educator again.

Frank Edelblut, the department commissioner, said while “no sentence could ever bring back her innocence,” there were no words to describe “the heinous actions against this young girl.” The job of an educator is “to protect students and prioritize their safety,” he said. However, Leung “instead chose to deliberately victimize a student entrusted to his care.”

Edelblut said everyone in the department hoped now, four years later, the victim had “found the strength, support and purpose to overcome the violence and massive breach of trust.” He said the department would continue to proactively protect the safety of all students in New Hampshire.

Prior Patch Coverage

Distinguished Educators for 2012
Concord Teacher Accused Of Raping Student In Newton, MA

NH Teacher Held Without Bail After Bay State Arraignment
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?
Concord School Board Opens New Investigation Into Leung Rape Case

Labrie's Former Counsel Not Hired To Probe Teacher Rape Case
Concord High School Principal Takes A Leave Of Absence
Concord School District Releases Leung Sexual Misconduct Report
Loose Ends Linger Throughout Concord School District Leung Report
Concord School Board To Revise 'Professional Expectations' Policy

Concord Superintendent Lashes Out At Media Coverage Of District
Online Petition Launched To Have Concord School Officials Removed
Concord School Board Holds Emergency Meeting Sunday With Counsel
Petition To Remove Officials From Concord Schools Cracks 2,000
Concord School Superintendent: Letter To Staff 'A Serious Error'

Concord School Board To Update Public About Investigation Tuesday
Parents, Students Vent About Issues With Concord School District
Concord Board Of Education Members Eyeing Investigative Report
Concord Superintendent Forsten, Principal Sica Placed On Leave
Concord Board Of Education Considering Personnel 'Next Steps'

Acting Concord School Superintendent Not Credentialed With NH DOE
Concord Police Chief Says He'd Like To See School Investigation
Credentialing Of Concord's Acting School Super Could Take Months
Second Concord School Employee Found Not To Be Credentialed
Concord School District To Conduct Full Staff Credentialing Audit

Mom Accuses Concord Teacher Of Trying To Groom Daughter In 2011
Parents To Concord School Board: Fire Assistant Superintendent
Leung Report Release Could Be Embarrassing, Humiliating: Attorney
Former Rundlett Assistant Principal Not Credentialed For 12 Years
Concord City Council Issues Statement About Leung Case, Schools

Concord School District Is Burning Through Its FY20 Legal Funding
Embattled Concord Principal Led Staff Remotely While On Leave
Concord High Principal Did Not Influence Investigation: Attorney
Education Department Revokes Accused Rapist's Teaching Credential
Update: Leadership Changes Coming To Concord School District

Embattled Concord School Super Terminated By Board Of Education
Concord Teacher-Student Rape Case Leads To Second SAU 8 Dismissal
One Concord School Board Member Ousted; One Incumbent Survives
School Board Clarifies 'Letter Of Reference' For Forsten, Sica
Concord School District Sued For Leung Investigation Documents

Interim Superintendent Stunned By Pain, Fear Of Concord Community
School District Files Motion To Dismiss Leung Rape Report Lawsuit
State Leaders Seek To Close Sexual Assault 'Howie Leung Loophole'
Amherst School Superintendent Silent On Forsten Curriculum Job
Former Concord Principal Sica Surrenders Educator Credentials

Governor Closes 'Howie Leung Loophole,' Signs Other Assault Bills
NH Revokes Former Concord School Superintendent's Credentials
Concord High School Teacher-Student Rape Case Costs Close To $1M
Teacher From Amherst First To Face 'Howie Leung Loophole' Law Charges
Second Leung Victim Nets $1M From Concord School District Insurer

Former Concord NH Teacher Reaches Plea Deal On Newton MA Rape Charges

Primo 'Howie' Leung Gets 6 Years In Prison On Mass. Child Rape Charges

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