EXCLUSIVE: Philadelphia School Worker Accused Of Sexual Assault Free On Bail
By Matt Rivers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- New information about an Eyewitness News Exclusive -- we've learned a school district employee accused of sexual assault is free on bail.
Police say the alleged incident happened at Strawberry Mansion High School in December (See Previous Story).
Mark Hampton, 50, is free on $25,000 bail, after police charged him with sexually assaulting a teacher at Strawberry Mansion High School back in December of last year, where he worked as a building engineer. Police allege Hampton grabbed and groped the teacher, before she broke free.
"He absolutely asserts his innocence in the case, these are spurious and fallacious charges and he intends to fully litigate those cases in court," says defense lawyer James Funt.
Police said the victim reported the crime right after it happened to school administrators. They conducted an investigation, and Hampton was transferred to Martin Luther King Junior High School. But officials never reported the alleged assault to police, something they acknowledged was a mistake.
"It looks like there were several things that did not happen and we are not happy with it, there should have been a notification immediately," says spokesperson Fernando Gallard of the School District of Philadelphia.
Police were only notified after a friend of the alleged victim told school police about what happened in March. Hampton's lawyer, James Funt, questioned why the victim didn't go to police right after the supposed attack happened. He also said the school district handled the situation appropriately.
"The school district had no obligation to go to the police. This is not a situation where there is an allegation of a child being assaulted, these are two adults, consenting adults," says Funt.
Hampton has been suspended from his job with the school district pending the outcome of this investigation. He has no criminal record.
