Vienna Principal Faces Failure To Report Charge: Police

UPDATE: Former teacher Matthew Snell was found not guilty on one charge and will get a deferred judgement in court, according to NBC Washington.

VIENNA, VA — Thoreau Middle School's principal has been charged in relation to the investigation involving former teacher Matthew Snell, according to Fairfax County Police.

Yusef Azimi, 41, of McLean, was charged with failure to report suspected child abuse. Detectives determined complaints of suspected child abuse had been reported to Azimi in October 2019. The complaints were not subsequently reported to Child Protective Services or the police, as required by law.

According to Fairfax County Police, the charge resulted from a nearly 12-month investigation into Snell, which involved about 30 interviews and 24 search warrants. Snell, who formerly taught at Thoreau, had been arrested in October 2019 after learning about a police investigation. Parents had notified the school after finding parents inappropriate text messages Snell allegedly sent to a teenager.

Detectives began investigating, and Snell left Fairfax County as police secured arrest warrants. Snell attempted to leave the U.S. but was tracked down and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service at El Paso International Airport. Snell was charged with carnal knowledge of a child and taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in custodial relationship. In November 2019, police announced an additional felony charge of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial relationship after a second teen victim was identified.

Azimi turned himself in Wednesday at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond.

A new letter being sent to Thoreau Middle School families says Azimi was placed on administrative leave when the investigation took place in November 2019. He remains on leave, and Sharamaine Williams is serving as interim principal.

Azimi's FCPS profile says he has been working for the school district since 1998. Initially a college student performing summer work, he went on to teach at Waples Mill Elementary School and Hunters Woods Elementary School, became assistant principal at James Madison High School in 2010, and moved on to be principal at Thoreau Middle School in 2015.

Here is the full letter to families:

Dear Thoreau Middle School Families,

On Wednesday, September 23, we learned that Fairfax County Police charged Thoreau principal Yusef Azimi with failure to properly report child abuse and neglect in a timely manner as required under the law. This charge stems from an investigation that took place in November 2019. At that time, Mr. Azimi was placed on administrative leave and remains on leave.

FCPS takes this matter seriously and an FCPS Human Resources administrative investigation was conducted concurrently with the police investigation. There is no greater responsibility of a school system than the safety and well-being of our students. Our teachers and staff are trained in best practices and legal requirements regarding mandated reporting of suspected abuse.

We are saddened and distressed by these allegations involving our employee. Police issued a news release on this matter here.

The Thoreau family has shouldered a series of tremendous burdens over the past academic year. Yet the community continues to galvanize to support and uplift one another. I am so grateful for your continued attention to the social, emotional, and academic well-being of our students. Our current interim principal, Sharamaine Williams, the administrative team, and the entire Thoreau staff are working daily to provide support and outstanding education to our Eagles.

If you or your student would like to speak with a counselor, or need support in any way, please reach out to Ms. Sharamaine Williams at any time.

Thank you for your continued support of Thoreau Middle School.

Sincerely,
Douglas A. Tyson
Assistant Superintendent, Region 1

Police say anyone who suspects that a child may be a victim of abuse should call Major Crimes Bureau detectives at 703-246-7800, option 4.