Suisun City police arrest teacher on child sex charges
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Police in Suisun City arrested a local educator last week following allegations of child sexual abuse, the agency said in a statement on Monday.
The teacher was identified as Stephen Gallagher, 54, of Fairfield. He was not in custody at the Solano County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon, according to a review of booking logs by Solano NewsNet.
Officials say their investigation into Gallagher began after an unnamed former student accused Gallagher of sexual abuse. The alleged abuse took place between May 2016 and March 2017, police said.
During that time, the victim was in the third grade and was a student of Gallagher’s. Police did not say what ultimately led them to conclude the allegation against Gallagher was substantiated, but they confirmed he was detained last week after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest.
Gallagher has worked with the Fairfield-Suisun City Unified School District since 1999, according to a social media profile reviewed by Solano NewsNet. He was previously employed as an educator with the Travis Unified School District and the Vallejo Unified School District.
Without using his name, a spokesperson for the Fairfield-Suisun City Unified School District confirmed Gallagher had been placed on administrative leave following his arrest.
“It is with shock and sadness that we share with our community that the Suisun Police Department has arrested one of our teachers on charges of child sexual abuse,” the school district said in a statement. “He allegedly abused one of our elementary students when the student was in the teacher's class four years ago. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave and removed from the classroom.”
Officials with the school district said they intend to cooperate with police as the investigation continues. Anyone with information about the alleged incident or others is asked to contact Detective Jeremy Snyder at 707-421-7373 or e-mail jsnyder@suisun.com.
Connect with Solano NewsNet on Twitter and Facebook for breaking news updates.
We’re proud to produce independent news for Solano County. This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or signing up for a paid subscription.