King County Prosecutors have charged a private tutor with sexually assaulting a minor following accusations of raping a middle school student he was assigned to teach. The accused, Gregory Emmanuel Ward, was employed by City Year, a nonprofit organization that provides tutoring and support services to students in public schools. The victim was a student at Aki Kurose Middle School.
In a related development, the Seattle Police Department arrested a program manager from City Year Seattle, who oversaw staff at two local schools, on charges of second-degree child rape. The alleged incident took place off-campus in late December. Ward, who had been working with the victim for several months, reportedly developed a “sexting” relationship with her. This inappropriate relationship came to light when the victim’s mother discovered Ward groping her 13-year-old daughter outside a restaurant.
Court documents state that Ward also raped the minor within the premises of that same establishment. He now faces charges of second-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. His arraignment is scheduled for two weeks from now, with bail set at $250,000.
Private tutors in a school setting typically have a range of roles and responsibilities aimed at supporting students’ academic growth and development. In response to the incident, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced a review of its partnership with City Year, which provides tutors to assist teachers in the classroom. Services from City Year were suspended at South Shore PreK-8 and Aki Kurose Middle School on Monday and will remain halted for the rest of the week.
Tutors provide personalized lessons tailored to the specific needs and learning styles of each student. This may involve adapting materials and teaching methods to suit individual requirements. City Year also has staff at Concord International Middle School, Denny International Middle School, and Rising Star Elementary, as noted on the organization’s website. Funded by AmeriCorps, City Year aims to support schools in areas with high populations of students of color and low-income families.
