Farmington Public Schools employee accused of soliciting inappropriate photos of student

The Farmington Hills Police Department began a criminal investigation of a Farmington Public Schools employee Jan. 31 after hearing a report that the employee allegedly had solicited “inappropriate” photos of a 13-year-old female student, according to a press release from the city of Farmington Hills.

Following an investigation by the Farmington Hills police, 25-year-old Wixom resident Andre Brown was arrested and charged with accosting a child for immoral purposes and child sexual abuse activity.

Brown, who was a contract employee, worked as a hall monitor, a basketball coach and a cross country coach at East Middle School.

According to the release, while employed at the school, he developed relationships with students and participated in conversation threads with them on Snapchat.

He solicited inappropriate photos of the 13-year-old student after initiating a private chat, police said.

The student shared the allegation against Brown with a school counselor, and police were notified.

As a result of the investigation, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office authorized a two-count warrant, with Brown being charged with one count of child sexual abuse activity, a 20-year felony, and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, a four-year felony.

Brown was arraigned in the 51st District Court, in Waterford, with a $25,000, 10% cash surety bond being set. Information from a probable cause hearing scheduled for Feb. 13 was not available at press time.

Other conditions for a pre-trial release included no contact with minors and no social media activity. He was ordered to not return to East Middle School.

The press release states that the “criminal activity” did not occur during school hours and that neither party was in Farmington Hills.

“I commend the courage of this student in recognizing the inappropriateness of the request made by the suspect, and her stepping forward to report the incident,” Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King stated in the release. “I encourage parents and guardians to maintain engagement in their children’s social media accounts and to have ongoing conversations about internet safety with their loved ones.”

According to the release, investigators are concerned that other children may have had similar experiences with Brown.

“The Farmington Hills Police Department takes allegations of abuse very seriously and they will be thoroughly investigated with the utmost concern for victims,” the release states.

Anyone with information relevant to the incident or anyone who has knowledge of similar incidents can call the FHPD at (248) 871-2610.

Following the incident, Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Christopher J. Delgado addressed a letter to staff and families of the district.

“Upon receiving the information, administration immediately isolated the employee from students and called the police,” Delgado stated in the letter. “Per District protocol, we instructed the contracted services company to initiate the process of termination. This individual will not return to any position within the Farmington Public Schools.”

According to Delgado, all contracted employees undergo a stringent hiring process that includes extensive state and federal background checks. 

He also stated that they must complete mandatory training on topics such as sexual harassment and Title IX violations. 

“While this individual had no criminal background violations, I recognize that even with thorough hiring practices, we cannot always detect the motivations of an individual,” Delgado stated. “Therefore, as a school community, we all must continue to remain vigilant to keep our children safe. Our schools will continue to offer programming and have frequent conversations about social media with our students. We encourage families to also discuss this important topic.”

Delgado also encouraged anyone who has information about the allegations to contact the Farmington Hills Police Department.

“I remain committed to partnering with our entire school community in providing a physically and emotionally safe learning environment for all students and staff,” Delgado stated. “Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns.”

Diane Bauman, who handles public relations for the district, said it is good that “the student felt comfortable enough to go to the counselor, and it was handled immediately.”

When reached by phone, Brown’s attorney declined to comment about the charges against his client. 

Staff Writer Charity Meier contributed to this report.