A Danbury man who has taught at a private Catholic girls’ school in Greenwich for the past 17 years has been charged with sexual assaulting a minor, police said. Michael Maida, 44, surrendered to police on Tuesday. He is charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor, according to police. The charges stem from an investigation into alleged contact between Maida and a student who was under the age of 16 at the time, police said. Maida teaches at Convent of the Sacred Heart day school in Greenwich. According to a statement from the school, the alleged incident took place in the fall of 2009 and the alleged victim is no longer a student.
Police notified the school of their investigation on Jan. 23, according to the statement. The school said Maida was immediately placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.”Mr. Maida has been a teacher with us for 17 years and has unequivocally denied that the alleged incident, of which we had no prior knowledge, occurred,” the school said. “We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and are continually focused on upholding a safe and welcoming environment for our students.”Maida was released on $50,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 18, police said.His attorney, Audrey Felsen, said that Maida is “a devoted and highly respected teacher.””He has earned an outstanding reputation as a dedicated professional among students and parents alike,” Felsen said. “He is shocked and saddened by the claims against him and unequivocally and emphatically denies the allegations.”
