DIRTBAG ROUNDUP: Montgomery County School Teacher John Vigna Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison but Suspended to Time Served for Original 2016 Conviction.

PRINCIPAL FAILED TO ACT TO TOSS PREDATOR OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AFTER REPEATEDLY HAVING GIRLS IN HIS LAP FOR HIS SEXUAL GRATIFICATION; This dimwit principal still works in a Maryland school system

Cloverly Elementary School Teacher in Montgomery County Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison but Suspended to Time Served.

SILVER SPRING, MD – The complete failure of the Montgomery County Public Schools to protect children from sexual predator teachers is demonstrated best by this criminal case and the long trip to placing the culprit in prison. This story will also contain the complete court file that caused a new trial, which ended this year. Even today, after all the chest-beating from Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, Maryland prison records show that this defendant, John Vigna, is not incarcerated as of Sept. 7, 2024.

The principal of Cloverly Elementary School, Dr. Melissa Brunson, had several reports from various individuals who saw Vigna holding children on his lap in the classroom and gave several warnings to the teacher of the inappropriate behavior – a janitor, a fire marshal and other teachers and instead of quickly acting to suspend and terminate this teacher; several steps, including a letter of reprimand, were taken before a criminal investigation was pursued which ended his teaching career and sent him packing to prison. The principal then moved the assigned classroom for Vigna next to the principal’s office to keep a better eye on the pervert – a real tipoff that the school principal was a failure in her responsibilities to the safety of children and to the parents who entrust their children to her and the public school system.  Even after this dirtbag was moved next to the principal’s office, his desire for small girls overwhelmed his memory of signing a reprimand notifying him that if he continued to place girls on his lap, he would be fired; he did it again.

“The evidence showed that Vigna sexually abused several female students while he was their teacher. The evidence showed that Vigna would have these young girls sit in his lap and then rub their buttocks and touch their genital areas over their clothes or otherwise touch the girls for his sexual gratification.”

If anyone believes that the Montgomery County Public Schools actually give a damn about the safety of children, then consider that a second letter of reprimand was issued to Vigna, this time from Larry A. Bowers, the Chief Operating Officer of the school system. Vigna still wasn’t terminated until a criminal investigation ensued.

The abuse of students continued for two years due to the failure of the school principal, Dr. Melissa Brunson. She was promoted after leaving Vigna in the classroom instead of removing him after complaints about Vigna’s lap actions from staff, a janitor, and a fire marshal.

Court records:
“The evidence showed that Vigna sexually abused several female students while he was their teacher. The evidence showed that Vigna would have these young girls sit in his lap and then rub their buttocks and touch their genital areas over their clothes or otherwise touch the girls for his sexual gratification.”

The appeals court recounted how a body safety class included slides to help explain to children what inappropriate touching and one child was slumped to her desk as two staffers observed. Upon interviewing the child, they learned about Vigna’s lap dances with the kids, with one of them relating how a hard part of his body touched her.  The abuse of this child began two years earlier by Vigna. A second child was interviewed, and finally, Vigna was removed from his job, and the Montgomery County Police took over to bring charges on June 23, 2016.  The leftist domination of the Montgomery County Public Schools proved once again that the welfare of pervert teachers is more important than protecting children.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy reported that In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, Circuit Court Judge Theresa Chernosky, on May 7, 2024, sentenced defendant John Vigna, 57, (DOB 10/08/1966) of 1001 Notley Road, Silver Spring, Maryland, a former Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, to 30 years in prison, suspended all but time served.

Vigna pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024, to one count of Sexual Child Abuse and three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor for crimes he committed against multiple students at Cloverly Elementary School between 2001 and 2016. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for the duration of his life. The judge ordered that he complete five years of probation with multiple conditions, including supervision by COMET (Collaborative Offender Management/Enforced Treatment), no unsupervised contact with minors, and no contact with the victims or their families.

The defendant’s admission of guilt was paramount to the State and the multiple victims in this case. This resolution also prevents further trauma to the victims who courageously participated in one trial and were re-traumatized by the criminal justice system when the original conviction was overturned. The victims support the plea agreement. The defendant has served over six years in prison to date and will face an additional 23 years if he violates probation.

Following the conviction in March, State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, “This is an appropriate resolution given all of the challenges that would arise should the case go to trial. The State received unfavorable rulings in pre-trial motions hearings that would have required some of the victims’ cases to be tried separately. The passage of time itself presents additional hurdles to overcome. The defendant’s admission of guilt following nearly a decade of denial is vindication for the victims and the community.”

Court of Appeals Decision that vacated the conviction of Vigna and resulted in a new trial

Vigna, whose previous conviction for the sexual abuse of at least two Cloverly Elementary students was vacated in 2023, pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024, to one count of sexual child abuse and three counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

The plea agreement covers crimes Vigna committed between 2001 and 2016 as well as new charges that were filed against him on Nov. 30 that included sexual abuse of a minor and multiple third-degree sex offenses, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

According to John McCarthy, Vigna, who has served more than six years in prison, will face an additional 23 years if he violates probation. 

In 2017, Vigna was sentenced to 48 years in prison for assaulting female students over 15 years. Vigna allegedly had students sit on his lap while the class watched videos or did independent work and then touched them inappropriately, according to the Court of Appeals ruling.

Vigna worked for Montgomery County Public Schools from 1992 to 2016 and taught third through fifth grade at Cloverly.

In July, Vigna’s conviction for sexually abusing minors was vacated by the Court of Appeals, now known as the Supreme Court of Maryland, after he filed for post-conviction relief in March 2022, in which he claimed ineffective assistance of counsel. Circuit Court Judge David Lease ruled that Vigna’s attorney was ineffective and granted him a new trial.

In March, the state’s attorney’s office said Vigna’s admission of guilt was “paramount to the state and the multiple victims in this case,” preventing “further trauma to the victims who courageously participated in one trial and were retraumatized by the criminal justice system when the original conviction was overturned.”

Attorney Justin Thomas Eisele represented Vigna in the 2016 Criminal Indictment handed down by the Montgomery County Circuit Court Grand Jury. Isabelle Roxane Raquin was the lead attorney for Vigna in the 2024 proceedings.