MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith Unable to Count to 9, Covers Up Number of Guilty Verdicts in John Vigna Trial

Below is the "statement" that MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith has finally released 48 hours after the verdict came in on the trial of MCPS 3rd grade teacher John Vigna.

Note the following:

Mr. Smith does not refer to the VICTIMS of these horrific crimes. He references the "community" only.  

There has still been no statement or response from the Montgomery County Board of Education or any of the individual elected officials.

There has been no statement from the Montgomery County Council, including the members of the Education Committee.

There has been no statement from Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy.

The "statement" below does not report the actual verdict in this trial, but rather glosses over the verdict by stating Mr. Vigna was found guilty on "multiple counts."  The Parents' Coalition has learned that Mr. Vigna was found guilty by a jury on 9 out of 14 counts of sexual abuse of a minor and third degree sex offense.  As soon as we have confirmed the guilty verdicts, we will post the ACTUAL VERDICT, not a glossed over summary!

Mr. Vigna is still a MCPS teacher.  He was only placed on administrative leave, he has not been removed from the school system.  


Statement from Superintendent Jack Smith 48 hours after jury verdict was returned in a Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has released the following statement from Superintendent Jack Smith in response to the guilty verdict in the trial of Cloverly Elementary School teacher John Vigna. Mr. Vigna, who was immediately placed on administrative leave after allegations were reported in February 2016, was convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense.

 “Our thoughts are with the Cloverly Elementary School community. I recognize that this has been an extremely difficult time for many students, families and staff members. I express my deepest gratitude to the community for its patience and unwavering commitment to our students throughout this process. MCPS will continue to provide additional counselors and support personnel to the school for the remainder of the year."

“I thank our partners in law enforcement for their dedication to keeping the children of Montgomery County safe each and every day."

“MCPS remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of every student throughout the district.  In recent years, our school system has enhanced its policies and protocols forrecognizing, preventing and reporting child abuse or neglect.  We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement and the community to ensure all students have a safe, welcoming place to learn.”