LOWELL, Massachusetts — The former athletic director at a Catholic school in Massachusetts has been charged with assault and battery on a child under 14, prosecutors said.
James Parker, 24, who was hired at St. Michael School in Lowell in September, was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday.
He was also ordered to stay away from the school and have no contact with the alleged victim and her family, according to a spokesperson for Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
A message was left with his attorney.
Parker, from Methuen, was fired Nov. 19 for “violating school policy regarding communications with a student,” the school’s principal said in a statement to parents.
All employees of the school undergo a criminal background check, he said.
