Former special needs teacher arrested for sex assault

Middletown, Conn. (WTNH) - A former Middletown special needs teacher was arrested on a sole count of sexual assault.

Christine Powell, 39, was charged with one count of second degree sexual assault when she was arrested on Feb. 10. The victim is a juvenile.

"That is bad at any school school system," said Brian Barbour, parent, "anybody that has town that has children, and if someone is doing that hopefully they will get caught for their crimes."

It was business as usual at the Middletown Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, because it is a personal matter school officials can't comment on it.

Cheryl Miller was at Tuesday night's meeting and says she met Powell once.

"If this lady is innocent, which I myself believe," Miller said, "which is no one else's beliefs other than my own, than this will tear her family apart."

"Sometimes things aren't what they seem," said children's advocate Grady Faulkner, "but when it comes to our young people keep our eyes open."

The Board of Education and the City of Middletown released a joint statement reads "Powell had been employed as a teacher with the Middletown Public Schools, but resigned in late 2011."

News 8 tried to contact Powell's attorney for comment, but he did not return our calls.

"People are in the habit of just dropping kids off now, and just handing them off and washing our hands," said Faulkner, "and we have to stop doing that. We have to check in on people and see how things are going."

Powell's bond has been set at $150,000. She will return to court on February 22nd.