Colleen Adenan

Special education teacher Anne Perry was charged for assaulting a student on April 2.

Special Education teacher Anne Perry has been charged with assault on an AHS student. The incident occurred on March 12. AHS families were notified earlier today with an automated phone call message from Principal Vincent Randazzo.

Although the phone call from Randazzo did not identify Perry, the Annandale Patch listed Perry in the special education department on the AHS website. Perry is a ninth grade special education English teacher and has taught at AHS since 1990. She has been placed on adminstrative leave.

“There must have been some sort of evidence to charge her but we can’t start judging her or anything until we know exactly we happened,” senior Christina Uglietta said. “People shouldn’t start making assumptions until they know more.”

Fairfax County Police Department Public Information Officer Bud Walker confirmed in a phone call with The A-Blast that Perry was arrested on one count of misdemeanor assault. Although the incident occurred on March 12, she was not given a summons until April 2. Perry was not taken into custody.

Randazzo asked parents and teachers to contact his office with any questions or concerns about this or other school related matters.

“Dear  Annandale community, you have often heard me describe our staff at  Annandale High School as the most knowledgeable, dedicated, and caring  people one can want  working with their children,” Randazzo said in the phone message. “So it is with great regret that I must alert you to some unpleasant news involving one of our teachers. One of  our teachers was served with an arrest warrant this week by Fairfax  County police and charged with one misdemeanor count of assault. The arrest was in connection with an incident involving one of our  students. The teacher has been removed from the classroom and placed on  administrative leave. This is an unfortunate episode and certainly is  not indicative of the wonderfully talented and professional staff we  have assembled at Annandale High School. If you have any questions or  concerns about this or  other school related matters, please do no hesitate to contact my  office. Thank you for your continued support of our school.”

“I don’t know much, the first I learned about the incident was in a phone call,” AHS PTSA president Kathy Ryan said. “I have not yet had any correspondence with the school, but I completely agree with Mr. Randazzo that this incident does not reflect the status of our teachers at AHS. They are just wonderful and they care so much about their students and they are some of the most dedicated people I have met in my entire life. I support Mr. Randazzo and his administration on whatever decision they make.”