Former Charles Co. volunteer high school track coach expected in court on student sex charges

WALDORF, Md. - A former Charles County volunteer high school track coach who was indicted on sex charges over the summer is expected in court Friday.

Jason Michael Roberts, 32, of North Carolina was indicted by a grand jury for sexually abusing a student when he worked as a volunteer coach for the Westlake High School track team from June 2018 to June 2022.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office says they were notified in June of the possible misconduct allegations between Roberts and the former student.

Detectives said they immediately contacted school authorities and began an investigation.

The indictment was announced in August.

Maria V. Navarro, the superintendent of Charles County Public Schools, issued the following statement to the school community following the indictment:

Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff:

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has learned Charles County State’s Attorney Anthony Covington filed a sex abuse of a minor charge against a former CCPS volunteer coach. The charge stems from a report police received earlier this year about alleged misconduct between the coach, Jason Roberts, and a former CCPS student.

Roberts served as a volunteer coach at Westlake High School from 2018 to June 2022, and has a clear background check on file with the school system. Once CCPS learned of the allegations, Roberts was removed from his coaching duties. We have cooperated fully with the Sheriff’s Office throughout the investigation. Roberts is the son of Westlake Principal Diane Roberts. Ms. Roberts is fully cooperating with all CCPS administrative protocols.

CCPS does not condone any inappropriate conduct between staff, volunteers or any other adults affiliated with the school system and students. Anytime a report is shared with us about alleged misconduct, whether it involves students and/or staff, it is provided to police for investigation. Any CCPS staff member, including volunteer coaches, must undergo a background screening and complete required training including courses on sexual harassment and child abuse. CCPS also randomly screens all employees within a three-year period to ensure background checks on file with the school system are current.

Staff is planning to host a parent/community meeting regarding the allegations at a later date. Details will be shared with you later this week. Parents, students, staff or community members can confidentially report any threatening, unsafe or inappropriate activity using the CCPS online reporting See Something, Say Something. Reports are kept confidential and shared with the appropriate agencies for investigation.

Please contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-2222 or fill out a See Something, Say Something confidential report if you have concerns about unsafe or inappropriate activity involving students or staff. Keeping schools, staff and students safe are main priorities of CCPS and police are not able to investigate what they do not know.

While staff members are not able to answer specific questions regarding the investigation, they are available to support you, your child and the school community to ensure all students have a safe and successful school year.

Anyone with information can contact police at 301-609-6479.