A former Gwinnett teacher at one of the state’s most prestigious high schools was jailed Wednesday on felony child and sexual molestation charges against two students.
Michael Appelbaum, 40, who was a band teacher at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, is accused of having sex with a student at the school and her home, between November 2011 and August 2012. He is also charged with child molestation for allegedly fondling the buttocks of another student in 2013.
Gwinnett authorities began investigating Appelbaum on the sex charges last month, after the former student who accused him of having sex with her came forward with her allegations. School police arrested him Tuesday.
Appelbaum, who has denied the allegations, had his head down for much of a hearing Wednesday where the charges were discussed. He hired an attorney, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled April 28. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the child molestation charges.
School police and human resources staff began investigating March 9 after the student came forward. Appelbaum resigned nine days later, on March 18.
Under Georgia law, sexual contact between anyone with supervisory or disciplinary authority — such as a law enforcement officer, teacher or psychiatrist — and a person under their care is illegal, even if it is consensual.
Appelbaum began teaching at the school in 2008. He was arrested the same day U.S. News & World Report named the Lawrenceville-area school the best high school in Georgia, based on several categories of academic data.
In 2013, Gwinnett officials issued Appelbaum a written reprimand after allegations he had inappropriately patted a female student on her back and on her buttocks, Gwinnett officials said in a letter written Monday to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the state’s educator licensing agency. The PSC gets about two dozen sex-related cases a year, which could include anything from physical contact to improper text messages.
PSC officials said Wednesday the commission never received information from Gwinnett about the 2013 case. They said school districts are expected to have policies to address such misconduct. Failure by a teacher or school administrator to report sexual abuse of a student, or any abuse, to the PSC is a punishable offense under the PSC code of ethics, with penalties that could parallel those for sexual abuse itself.
The PSC will now initiate a process that could strip Appelbaum of his teaching certificate, though it could take as long as a year. PSC staff will recommend a sanction to the commission, which could range from a warning to license revocation. The educator would then have a month to appeal for a hearing with an administrative law judge, in which case the Georgia Attorney General would act as counsel for the PSC.
Appelbaum is one of three educators employed by Gwinnett at the start of this school year who are now accused of sexual misconduct against students.
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