High school principal in Anne Arundel says he had no knowledge of abuse

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A high school principal and social worker in Anne Arundel County on Friday moved to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a student who was sexually abused by a teacher who was also his legal guardian.

Broadneck High School Principal Patrick Gelinas, who previously held the same role at Annapolis High School, and social worker Bridgitte Hammaker say they had no knowledge of former AHS teacher Jennifer Arnold’s abuse of a ninth-grader in 2020 and 2021.

Arnold was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor in January 2023.

The victim, known in the lawsuit as Survivor A, sued the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and Carson Arnold, Jennifer Arnold’s ex-husband, in May 2024, bringing claims of negligence, violations of his rights under the 14th Amendment and Title IX and more.

In an October amended complaint, Survivor A added Gelinas and Hammaker as defendants, saying they neglected to communicate with the child’s parents and assisted in his “kidnapping and abuse.” They say the victim offered no proof that any abuse happened on school grounds.

“Essentially, Plaintiff claims that he is entitled to a financial award because his legal guardian was employed as a teacher at the school where Defendant Gelinas was employed as the school principal and Defendant Hammaker employed as a social worker,” the motion to dismiss, filed by the Anne Arundel County Office of Law, states.

“There is absolutely no factual context for the conclusive and nebulous allegations that Ms. Arnold would ‘sexually harass and assault him on school property.’ No dates, no location, no time frame – nothing at all.”

Survivor A moved to Maryland to live with his uncle and attend eighth grade in Anne Arundel County. During his first year at Annapolis High School, the complaint states, he “was experiencing trouble with his living situation with his uncle,” and confided in Arnold, his English teacher.

Arnold invited him to live with her and her husband. She began to “groom” him and abuse him at home and at school, the complaint states. Survivor A eventually told his mother, who attempted to bring him home to Connecticut, but was unable to get in touch with school officials.

“Because of the named Defendants’ refusal to communicate with Survivor A’s parents, as required, it would take a year for Survivor A’s mother to recover him from Ms. Arnold’s abuse,” the complaint states.

“Had any Defendant opted to cooperate with Survivor A’s mother when she first contacted Defendant BOE and its employees, much of Survivor A’s abuse could have been prevented.”

Survivor A is represented by Tara Eberly, Andrew Janet and Stephen Rigg of Janet, Janet & Suggs.

In a November response to the complaint, Carson Arnold denied the allegations against him.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education in November filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim against the board.