School Officials Arrested for Child Abuse Across States

Several school officials across different states in the U.S. have been arrested for allegations of child abuse. In Alabama, Karen Howard, a Buckhorn Middle School employee, was arrested for alleged torture/willful abuse of a child and placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. In California, David Lane Braff Jr., a former school counselor at McKevett Elementary, was charged with 17 felony counts for sexually abusing eight children between 2015 and 2019. Braff, who was working as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School at the time of his arrest, is under investigation for potentially more victims due to his extensive employment history in Southern California. Additionally, Fadil Shabazz, a para-educator at Brentwood Elementary in Victorville, was arrested for alleged lewd acts on a child, though the crime did not occur on school grounds and the victim was not a student. Authorities are continuing investigations in all cases to identify potential additional victims and to ensure student safety.