7 News Belize

Former BCHS Teacher Accused Of Abusing His Student
posted (May 9, 2014)
Michael Angel Guzman, a former teacher of the Belmopan Comprehensive High School, is spending his second night at the Belize Central Prison after being accused of a taking advantage of a student, and having a sexual relationship with one of his students.

7News has been following this case since the week before the Easter holidays. What we've been able to dig up is that the mother a 14 year-old student found out about the inappropriate relationship and started to press the case first with the school. She brought this matter to the principal first and following her persistence, Guzman was placed on a sort of administrative leave. A few days later, he unexpectedly resigned his post as teacher at the school. Police began investigating him for the crime and on Tuesday, he was arrested and criminally charged. The officer commanding Belmopan Police explained more today:

Supt. Howell Gillett - OC, Belmopan Police
"A 14 year old minor from the same school reported that on the 11th February she had sexual relations with one of her teachers. The teacher has been identified as Michael Guzman. He has been charged with one count of carnal knowledge and he has been remanded to prison."

On Tuesday, Guzman was arraigned in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court and due to the nature of the offence, he was remanded to prison without bail.

But a serious allegation does not just go away; it's a profound betrayal of trust where a teacher is being accused of abusing his position to take advantage of a child. Today, 7News tried to reach the principal for comment once again, but we were told that he was out of the office. We did speak one of the school's vice-principals who told us that the school would not issue any further comments other than those made yesterday by a school representative. She was referring to an impassioned plea that the Chairman of the Board for the Belmopan Comprehensive High School made to Plus TV in a telephone call. Here's what he had to say:

Voice of: Wayne Bevans, Chairman - Board of Belmopan Comprehensive School
"I want to assure the Belmopan area community that there is a zero tolerance at the Belmopan high school for sexual immorality. We do not tolerate that. We do not condone it and whenever we find it, it is immediately dealt with. We want to ask the community of Belmopan if you see a teacher not only on the campus but in the community spending too much time with a student to please bring it to the attention of the administration of the high school. We want to appeal to the teachers that are in that community to make sure that if you see there are anything to bring to the attention of the board of management and bring it to the attention of the administrators."

We have received credible reports that because the teacher was effectively protected by the Administration and allowed to resign, he will received his gratuity. All this against the interest of the child - who we are told was forced by her circumstances to stop school.

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