Former Mother Lode School Administrator Arrested

Oakdale, CA– A Valley Home administrator who once worked at schools in Calaveras and Tuolumne County, has been arrested on suspicion of child molestation.

According to Lt. Lester Jenkins of the Oakdale Police Department, superintendent-principal of the Valley Home Joint School District, Thomas Kevin Hart was arrested on July 6th.

The Stanislaus County district attorney’s office says it is conducting an investigation of the charges which include continuous sexual abuse of a child and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.  Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley says no charges have been filed by prosecutors yet.

59-year-old Hart has posted bail and is scheduled back in court August 5th.

The Modesto Bee reports that Hart was principal at Avery Middle School in Calaveras County and superintendent-principal at Bellview Elementary School in Sonora before coming to Valley Home, according to the Valley Home School district website.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com