Overview
- Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith denied release on public-safety grounds even though prosecutors did not oppose a bail proposal.
- Police and parents say about a dozen girls reported being grabbed between the legs in crowded hallways over several months; court records list Feb. 25 as an offense date and March 7 as the arrest.
- The charges are nine counts of misdemeanor assault and battery rather than sexual-assault offenses, carrying a maximum penalty of about one year.
- ICE has lodged a detainer for the suspect, and the agency is pressing Fairfax County to honor it, with conflicting accounts in coverage about local cooperation.
- On March 12, the principal’s letter described the conduct as touching students’ buttocks, which parents say minimized the allegations and has fueled bullying of some girls; FCPS cites privacy laws and says safety is a top priority.