CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports a teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Sugar Creek Charter student.
Vincent Littlejohn, 30, is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Police said the crimes happened at Sugar Creek Charter School on North Tryon.
Police report the victim told her parents that she has been sexually assaulted by Littlejohn multiple times from September 29, 2018, to October 29, 2018.
NBC Charlotte has now learned that Littlejohn is a former science teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
A letter from the school to parents said all candidates go through a thorough background check and this case was no different. Littlejohn has passed his background check.
It didn’t take long for the disturbing allegations to emerge. Littlejohn started at Sugar Creek Charter School in September. Now, just two months later, he was arrested on Monday and fired on Tuesday.
“It’s very surprising, you see it on the news, never thinking it's going to be at one of your schools,” said Jessica Espinoza, a parent at Sugar Creek Charter School.
“Oh wow, I guess I'm going to have to talk to my kids again,” Espinoza told NBC Charlotte. “It's always very important to tell them for them to speak up in case of anything.”
Littlejohn had worked in CMS just months earlier. The district said he was a science teacher at Harding High School from August 2015 to June of this year when he resigned.
Littlejohn is now facing several charges including indecent liberties with a student, indecent liberties with a child, and simple assault. The former teacher is now out on bond. After his first court hearing on Tuesday, Littlejohn’s attorney said he denies all wrong doing.
“Mr. Littlejohn denies any and all wrongdoing,” said Robert Corbett, Littlejohn’s defense attorney. “Law enforcement even told him during the interview that they did not think he did anything wrong. They were just going through the process. We reached out to law enforcement asked them to stay in contact with us if anything has changed and we were surprised that the warrants were forthcoming today.”
“A child is not going to lie about something like that, something so serious,” said Espinoza.
“They recommend me this school being a great school and the environment, but for this to happen at a charter school, I don't know now I'm second guessing it,” said Espinoza.
School officials said counseling has been offered to any students in need, as they try to move past the disturbing incident.
