One detail that drew attention in two recent rape cases involving Montgomery County Public Schools students was their ages.
In February, 19-year-old Ivan Reyes Lopez and 20-year-old Jonathan Jose Coreas-Salamanca were arrested at their high schools on allegations that they raped 11-year-old girls in 2019 at apartments off school property. The cases are separate and unrelated.
Lopez is a student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and Coreas-Salamanca attends Montgomery Blair High School. The two were suspended from school while their cases are pending.
On Thursday, Superintendent Jack Smith said he takes community criticism about the school district’s education of adult students personally.
Since the arrests, some community members have questioned why the students, both legal adults, are still enrolled in school.
During a news conference on a range of topics, Smith reiterated that state law requires school districts to educate students between ages 5 and 21. There are approximately 1,300 students in MCPS at least 19 years old, many of whom receive special education or English language learning services, according to MCPS data.
“That is not a new phenomenon in our society, and it should not ever in any way, shape or form be construed as a new thing, because it’s not,” Smith said. “It’s also part of Montgomery County’s core values about serving every student that comes to our door. That’s our job. What kind of society doesn’t serve students in its educational institutions who need services?”
Smith said he has five children, two of whom he and his wife adopted from a different country.
One son began kindergarten at 7 years old, and the other started second grade at 9 years old, Smith said. They both graduated from Maryland high schools when they were 19 years old.
“So you’ll see I take this kind of personally,” Smith said, adding that both are “contributing members to the community.”
Smith also emphasized that Lopez and Coreas-Salamanca have not been convicted of any crimes and people should not rush to judgment until legal proceedings are complete.
“We have to be very careful about what we say and who we say it to,” Smith said. “[My sons] fit into the demographic that’s being talked about in the community.”
Both Coreas-Salamanca and Reyes remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court this month.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
