Nebraska district reacts to paraprofessional’s arrest after new evidence surfaces regarding 2022 child sex assault report 

Norfolk Public Schools in Nebraska is reaffirming its commitment to “a safe and secure environment” for both students and staff after the Feb. 25 arrest of one of its paraprofessionals in a child sexual assault case.

Notably, however, the incident didn’t involve a Norfolk student, and even occurred several years before the para was hired by the district.

“Upon notification of the arrest, the District took immediate action to place (Jose) Ramirez on administrative leave,” wrote Bill McAllister, the district’s superintendent, as reported by the area’s CBS affiliate. “He is strictly prohibited from entering any NPS campus or district property.”

Ramirez, 32, was taken into custody and faces charges of third-degree sexual assault of a child, according to the news outlet.

“On Tuesday, a Norfolk Police detective successfully contacted and interviewed Ramirez. Based on new information provided during the interview, investigators established probable cause for an arrest and took him into custody the next morning.”

Although the police report was first filed in July 2022, the Madison County Attorney’s Office did not prosecute Ramirez “because of the evidence available at the time” and after Ramirez refused to speak with detectives, according to police.

The report involved a then-13-year-old boy who accused Ramirez of inappropriately fondling him on five separate occasions, journalists noted.

“Based on the information obtained, the individual involved is not a student within the Norfolk Public School system,” McAllister said in his statement.

“Mr. Ramirez began his employment with the District in August 2025. In accordance with our safety protocols, a comprehensive background check was conducted and cleared prior to his hiring.”

Child abuse by educators

As previously reported by The Lion, the size and scope of child abuse perpetrated by educators remains unclear. The last Department of Education report studying the issue was in 2004, estimating 10% of students were targeted “sometime during their school career.”

Another report, titled “Study of State Policies to Prohibit Aiding and Abetting Sexual Misconduct in Schools,” was released in June 2022.

Fewer than 12 states had laws requiring “job candidates to divulge information about investigations or disciplinary action for a sexual offense or abuse,” the report concluded.

Meanwhile, an estimated 95% of educator sexual misconduct cases are handled in-house and never reported to law enforcement.

“We’ve been collecting Google alerts since 2014 on teacher arrests, just for sexual misconduct type of offenses,” said Terri Miller, president of the national organization S.E.S.A.M.E.

“There is a small percentage of bad apples that can spoil the whole bunch and cause suspicion to fall upon everybody within the school system. Schools don’t want shame or perpetrators existing in their schools.”

(Image credit: Screenshot/KOLN)