The former principal of Aberdeen Middle School, a paraeducator and at least one other school staff member were arrested in July after investigators said they delayed reporting information regarding an alleged “rape incident” to authorities, as required by law, Aberdeen Police said Monday.

Police declined to give the names of the people who were charged, but described the individuals as a principal and a paraeducator at Aberdeen Middle School.

According to online court records, former Aberdeen Middle Principal Regina Jones, 44, of Havre de Grace, and Tanya Johnson, 56, of Aberdeen, were both charged on July 16 with failure to report child abuse/neglect and abuse/failure to report, both misdemeanors. Johnson was a paraeducator at the school as recently as 2020.

Police did not specify the date the alleged rape occurred or where it reportedly occurred; however, court records for both Jones and Johnson state that the offense date spanned from early April 2023 to late August 2023.

Under Maryland law, educators, health practitioners, human service workers and law enforcement officers are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

The Aberdeen Police Department said it brought information to the Harford State’s Attorney’s Office which led to indictments of Jones and Johnson, according to a public information officer with the police department. The state’s attorney’s office would not comment.

Jones was principal at Aberdeen Middle School since at least 2022.

A Harford County Public Schools official said Monday that as of Sept. 14, 2023, Jones was placed on extended leave and she was not serving as principal at the time of her arrest.

“We can confirm that all employees accused of failure to report child abuse were removed from the school immediately upon notification of charges against them, per standard protocol,” Jillian Lader, HCPS communications manager, stated in an email.