Woodbridge, Va. — After two employees at a high school in Woodbridge last week were charged with having sex with students, the county’s school system is working to assure parents their children are safe.
A 27-year-old female English teacher, Tina Amato, and a 27-year-old male part-time track coach, Eric Lewis, are charged with having sex with two different Prince William County high school students.
Lewis, of Quantico, had sex with a student at Potomac Senior High School in 2008, while he was a substitute teacher there, police said.
Amato, of Stafford County, is charged with having sex with a 16-year-old student over the course of a year, and has worked at the school as an English teacher for the past three years.
Several phone calls from parents have been received by the staff at Gar-Field, but few have been from parents who are concerned about the arrests.
“The response has been quite limited. Mostly parents concerned about whether makeup work was received or wanting to know who the new teacher would be, in Ms. Amato’s case,” said Gar-Field Senior High School Principal William Bixby.
Bixby met with each of Amato’s classes to allow students to ask questions about the arrest, and in letters sent home to parents has encouraged a discussion about what happened here.
Between 2006 and 2009, Lewis worked as a substitute teacher at four high schools and five middle schools, including Forest Park, Gar-Field, Freedom and Potomac high schools, and Lake Ridge, Godwin, Beville, Woodbridge and Fred Lynn middle schools.
In both incidents, once school officials learned of the allegations against both teachers they took swift action in reporting it to police.
“This is something that is taken very seriously and it will not be tolerated at all, and there are great efforts to try to ensure this doesn’t happen in the in the first place, but if it does it is investigated and people are held accountable,” said Prince William County Public Schools spokesman Blackstone.
Before they are hired, the names of applicants who want to work for the county schools are checked against the National Sex Offender Registry as well as with the FBI.
Throughout the year, faculty and staff attend training focusing on sexual misconduct and harassment, said Blackstone.
While the allegations of sexual misconduct are serious, some parents aren’t panicked.
“Our schools have much bigger problems this. Bullying, for example, things that happen every day to every kid. You can do background checks, but they’re not going to catch the people you really need to be afraid of. The key is to stay involved with your kid, schools should do more, but you have to talk to your kids about how to handle situations like this,” said Tera Peacock, who has a child attending a middle school where Lewis once worked.
Another parent said it’s important to be open with their child.
“We as parents have to educate our children and stay close to them. Talk to your kids and be involved at their schools…anywhere they spend time,” said Rebecca Barnes, who has a fifth grade student in Prince William schools.
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Prince William County government offices and facilities will be open on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Still, employees can take unscheduled leave or engage in unscheduled telework due to current weather conditions.
While the county remains open for business, residents are encouraged to check for the latest updates on facility-specific operations by visiting pwcva.gov/emergency.
Some county services may be impacted by the weather. Before visiting a county facility, call ahead or check the county’s website.
Several schools in our region have announced closures and delays for Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions.
Fredericksburg Regional Transit (FXBGO!) announced that transit service, which was suspended on Tuesday due to winter weather, is expected to resume at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8. Residents relying on public transportation are encouraged to plan accordingly and check for updates before traveling.
In addition to transit disruptions, the city’s trash collection schedule has been adjusted. Monday’s missed routes resumed today, and services will shift forward by one day for the remainder of the week. Tuesday’s trash will be collected on Wednesday, Wednesday’s on Thursday, and so on.
The City of Fredericksburg’s Public Works Department continues its efforts to clear snow and ice from roadways. Primary collector roads are reported to be in good condition, but some residential and collector roads remain compacted with snow and ice. Crews are applying plowing and chemical treatments as necessary to address these areas. As temperatures drop overnight, roads may refreeze, and drivers are urged to exercise caution when traveling.
The City also reminds property owners and occupants of their obligation to clear sidewalks adjacent to their properties. Snow and ice must be removed within 12 hours after snowfall ends, or by noon the following day if precipitation occurs overnight or on a Sunday. Sand or abrasives may be used if removal isn’t feasible. Residents and businesses are also responsible for clearing ADA access ramps to ensure safe pedestrian passage.
The animals below are STRAYS turned into the PWC Animal Services Center between 01/03/2025 – 01/06/2025. We post photos of stray animals brought to the Center a couple of times each week to help owners find their missing pets.
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