The Show Will Go On

That teacher, Frank Marino, chairman of the Visual and Performing Arts at the high school, was arrested at the school during classes last week and charged with three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and three counts of crimes against nature. He was taken to, arrested and held at the Prince William County jail until this Tuesday when he was released on bond. He was been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case, and his first court date is in March.

Students and parents, alike, were shocked and saddened by the development, but had nothing but praise for Marino's teaching skills over the past decade at George Mason. Highly popular with all students at the small school, he was chosen in 2001 as the recipient of the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher award, given by the Washington Post.

Students rehearsing for the opening of "Bye Bye Birdie" determined swiftly that they would push ahead with the show under their own direction. Some said they were doing so to honor Marino. Three shows, all but an originally-scheduled Sunday afternoon matinee, will be performed at the George Mason High School auditorium. The shows tonight, Friday and Saturday will all begin at 7:30 p.m.

Falls Church Public Schools Superintendent Mary Ellen Shaw told the News-Press in an interview yesterday that "it remains a very difficult time for the school system and community," adding, "Staff members are taking extra care to support each other and the students as we await further information."

Meanwhile, one Falls Church City Council member, David Snyder, expressed concern over the way in which the arrest of Marino was conducted at the high school on February 12. "It was an extraordinary activity that seems to have had a maximum negative impact on the students, the school and the community. It was one of the most negative events to occur in the City in its history and least protective of the rights of the accused as well as the welfare of students and the reputation of the community," he said in remarks to the News-Press yesterday. He added, "There had to have been a less intrusive way to do the job. It will be important for the City Council to get to the bottom of this."

However, Falls Church Chief of Police Robert Murray said that care was taken "to make sure none of the students were interfered with."

"They all could go down the halls," he said, "and only one classroom was entered and searched." He added that only two of the officers involved were uniformed.

Murray explained that his department had been notified a week earlier that Prince William County police would be seeking a warrant to search Marino's car and desk. The were joined by Falls Church Police applying for the warrant from the Arlington circuit court magistrate and Falls Church and Fairfax police (the high school being technically located in Fairfax County) accompanied the Prince William police to the high school where the search was undertaken around 11:30 a.m.

Marino volunteered to be questioned by Falls Church police investigators at police headquarters here and then by Prince William County investigators in Manassas. It was after the voluntary questioning that he was placed under arrest.

The charges against him all pertained to alleged contact with a single former student. According to reports, the student, who no longer attends George Mason, told Prince William police that he went to Manassas motels with Marino on at least three occasions between September 2002 and October 2003.

The police reported that the student described performing sexual acts with Marino at the motels and that they believed the sexual activity was consensual.

Shaw said that the Falls Church police "worked hard to minimize the impact of the activity" that led to the arrest of Marino on Feb. 12. "They tried to make it as least intrusive as possible and were considerate of our needs to keep it as quiet as possible."

She said that Marino will remained suspended with pay pending the outcome of the school system's own investigation as well as the outcome of the criminal charges. "I will be in consultation with the City attorney on this," she said.

Meanwhile, a statement from "current students, former students, parents, co-workers and community leaders" printed in a paid advertisement that appears on Page 16 of this edition of the News-Press reads: "Dear Frank, we want you to know how much we appreciate your teaching and the inspiration you have been to thousands of children in this city over the past 10 years. You have our deepest concern and are in our thoughts and prayers."