Teacher Found Not Guilty of Child Sexual Abuse
In March of 2024, a courageous, 8-year-old third-grade girl came forward to report the sexual abuse she was experiencing at the hands of her third-grade teacher.
That brave act led to many other girls coming forward, saying the same 45-year-old male teacher molested them. The sexual abuse of these young girls was confirmed through hours of forensic interviews by trained professionals.
Numerous evaluations and therapy sessions with highly trained psychologists and detectives concluded that the young girl’s stories were true and factual.
During the trial, numerous brave elementary school girls testified that their third-grade teacher touched them inappropriately. In the end, the jury was deadlocked on several counts, and their teacher was found not guilty on the others.
The Criminal Justice System Does Not Always Work
The Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Matthew Schlegel with dozens of counts of childhood sex abuse crimes against several young girls who came forward. He was arrested in May 2024 and went to trial in May and June 2025.
Defendant Matthew Schlegel hired not one, but two defense firms to represent him. An Anne Arundel County jury found him not guilty on 18 of 21 charges.
The families feel incredibly defeated. The brave young girls who came forward are heartbroken that the jurors did not credit their stories of the molestation they endured.
It’s a sad day when justice does not prevail in the criminal justice system. We want to applaud the brave children and their amazing parents for having the strength to come forward and fight.
There Are Other Ways to Seek Justice and Accountability
During the year between Schlegel’s arrest and the trial, many people’s lives were put on hold.
The young girls, who should have been spending their fourth-grade year with friends, enjoying school, playing sports, and simply being kids, instead faced an entirely different reality.
Their days were filled with therapy sessions, battles with panic attacks and anxiety, and other mental health challenges. They struggled to return to school and extracurricular activities while navigating interactions with detectives, attorneys, and the judicial system.
Meanwhile, Matthew Schlegel was hiring multiple private defense attorneys to put up a defense that called into doubt the testimony of multiple 9- and 10-year-old victims and witnesses.
The accused sex offender’s attorneys argued to the jury that the families of these little girls colluded to influence their children to report their abuse.
These Brave Girls Saved Future Young Girls from Abuse
The Yost Legal Group’s Cara O’Brien calls this defense “an affront to survivors everywhere. This ironically fabricated defense encourages an abuse-centered culture where trusted adults who prey on children and the institutions that allow it will walk away unscathed, and children will continue to be sexually abused.”
The average age at which a survivor of child sex abuse comes forward is 52. These girls came forward at the ages of 8 and 9. They stopped the next third-grade class at Severna Park Elementary from being sexually abused by their math teacher, Matthew Schlegel.
They acted selflessly and responsibly, knowing the right path to going public would be hard on them.
The Yost Legal Group Will Pursue Holding Severna Park Elementary School Accountable to The Girls Who Were Sexually Abused at School
Unfortunately, the criminal justice system failed these little girls. Nevertheless, the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County could have another opportunity to hold Schlegel accountable.
It is possible that more victims could come forward to report that they were abused years earlier by their third-grade math teacher, Schlegel. It is possible that the State’s Attorney’s Office likely did not have all the witnesses available when they filed the original charges.
Survivors of Abuse Come Forward, Your Voice Matters
Even though the defendant was found not guilty of most charges during this initial trial, it’s essential to understand that there are other legal avenues for holding individuals accountable. The fact is that our legal system doesn’t always achieve justice on the first attempt.
Families can explore Title IX proceedings, which ensure the federal right to an education free from sexual harassment.
Additionally, pursuing a civil lawsuit is another potential pathway for seeking justice when the criminal justice system falls short. In a civil case, you choose your legal team.
These little girls are the victims of these horrific acts. But they are also survivors and will continue to fight.
There Are Other Legal Remedies to Seek Justice
The Yost Legal Group is a Maryland law firm representing survivors of institutional childhood sexual abuse.
Institutional sexual abuse is when a minor is under the care and supervision of an institution, religious, government, or corporate-run entity, and is abused. Many institutions fail to protect the minors in their care.
The following is a list of institutional environments where child sex abuse claims happen frequently.
– Clergy sexual abuse claims
– Juvenile detention center sexual abuse claims
– Foster care sexual abuse claims
– Private and public school sexual abuse claims
– Athletic coach sexual abuse claims
– Doctor sexual abuse claims
Legally, no minor can consent to a sexual relationship with an adult. The Yost Legal Group’s child sexual abuse lawyers are committed to protecting the rights of child victims.
Standing Up for Justice for Child Abuse Survivors
If you’re a survivor of child sexual abuse in a Maryland institution, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf. The Maryland Child Victims Act allows victims of childhood abuse to seek justice, no matter how long ago the abuse happened.
To learn about your rights or discuss the possibility of making a sx, contact us for a free and confidential consultation. We accept cases on a no-win, no-fee, or expense basis.
Maryland Sex Abuse Law Firm – Juvenile Detention Sexual Abuse Claims – Childhood Sexual Abuse Lawyer
