Abuse Of Kids With Disabilities At Fairfax Co. School Alleged

TYSONS, VA — Two former employees and a principal have been charged in relation to alleged assault of students with disabilities at a Fairfax County elementary school. Police believe six non-verbal students at Freedom Hill Elementary School in Tysons faced abuse. A grand jury indicted the three adults on Monday.

One of the former employees, Cylmeera Gastav, 48, of Herndon, was charged with one felony count of cruelty and injuries to children and three misdemeanor counts of assault and battery. Cecilia Maria Benavides, 59, of Alexandria was charged with one felony count of cruelty and injuries to children and 12 counts of misdemeanor assault and battery. The former principal, Scott Bloom, 39, of Reston, was charged with failing to report the suspected abuse to Child Protective Service or the police.

Police say the offenses happened at the elementary school between April and September this year. In September, a teacher who observed bruising on a student contacted school administration and Child Protective Services. A detective investigation determined the employees, who provided support to students with intellectual disabilities, allegedly abused the six children. Police did not elaborate on the details of the physical injuries, but medical care for had been involved.

Investigations found other concerns of abuse reported to Bloom during the 2018-2019 school year. Those concerns were not reported to Child Protective Services or police as required, leading to the charge against Bloom. The current school administration did contact Child Protective Services when notified by a teacher in September.

"These are the most vulnerable members of our community. Not only are they elementary school kids, but they're non-verbal and they're special needs," said Major Ed O'Carroll of Fairfax County Police at a press conference. "Caretakers are supposed to be the most special people in their lives to make sure they don't get harmed by strangers let alone by the people entrusted to care for them."

Bloom, a school district employee since 2012, moved to a position as principal of Haycock Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year. He has been on leave since September. Benavides had been employed with the school district since 2000. Gastav was previously a part-time employee but was hired full-time in 2019.

By law, school district employees must report abuse to Child Protective Services or law enforcement. Marty Smith, chief operating officer at Fairfax County Public Schools, said staff reviewed this requirement at in-service trainings in November and will complete online training in December.

"There's no greater responsibility of a school system than the safety and well-being of our students, and the result of this tragic situation that we have learned that we need to do more," said Smith.

The case remains an active investigation. Smith asked anyone with a concerning incident at any FCPS school to contact police or a trusted adult. If you believe a crime may have occurred in Fairfax County, contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.