Maryland Teacher Who Ran For Congress Accused Of Having Sex With Underage Student

A Maryland teacher and former Democratic congressional candidate has been charged for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old student on school property in 2014 and 2015, police said. Maxwell Bero, 30, of Clarksburg, was arrested Wednesday.

According to Montgomery County police, Bero was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of committing a third-degree sexual offense. The arrest was made after the now-19-year-old girl said he sexually assaulted her during incidents from August 2014 through June 2015.

The alleged assaults took place when Bero taught the eighth-grader at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School in Silver Spring, police said, adding Bero also exchanged inappropriate "sexual materials" and messages with the girl.

“The sexual interactions occurred after school hours on school property,” police said in a statement Wednesday. They added the investigation into the case began in June. Bero, who is now teaching at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg, was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. He also worked there as the boys’ varsity lacrosse coach and assistant varsity football coach.

"These charges are deeply concerning and unacceptable and represent a complete breach of trust, responsibility, integrity and the law," a spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools told parents in a statement. "We hold our employees to a high standard of character and these allegations violate that. Please know that the safety of our students is our top priority and we are committed to ensuring we maintain a safe learning environment for all.

In June, Bero unsuccessfully ran in a Democratic primary in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District. During an interview with Bethesda Magazine ahead of the primary, Bero said his background as a teacher was an asset to his candidacy.

“As a teacher and coach, I’m used to figuring out ways to motivate and inspire others, and develop creative solutions to problems, and I’m prepared to do the same in Washington,” Bero said at the time.

Detectives believe Bero may have assaulted other victims and they have urged anyone with additional information to contact authorities in Montgomery County.