HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials from Howard County Public Schools have encouraged families to talk with their children about any interactions they may have had with a substitute teacher who is now facing sex abuse charges in Montgomery County. "This same individual has also been a substitute at our school," stated a form letter that many public schools in Howard County sent out following the news of the man's arrest.

Steven Katz, 59, of the 6500 block of Quiet Hours, was charged with sex abuse of a minor and fourth-degree sex offense, the Montgomery County Police Department reported over the weekend.

Sometime after school on March 8, a student at a Clovery Elementary School in Silver Spring told his parent that his substitute teacher had touched him in a way that made him feel uncomfortable, police said. The student identified the teacher as Katz, according to authorities.

Katz has been a substitute in Montgomery and Howard counties and worked one day in Baltimore County Public Schools, according to WBAL. Charging documents obtained by the news station stated that in addition to moving his hand from the shoulder of an 11-year-old boy to his buttocks, Katz also allegedly touched a girl's waist and a boy's back and apologized to all of the children. According to the Montgomery County Police Department, Katz admitted to inappropriate touching.

"My office and our school leaders have been asked why this individual was able to work as a substitute teacher during the time he was being investigated by the Montgomery County Police Department," Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Interim Superintendent Michael J. Martirano in a statement.

"Unfortunately, news of the arrest came as a surprise to us as we were not aware that this individual was suspected of these charges until Saturday, March 17," Martirano said. "This put us in a position of responding to a situation without having many details. Over the next several days, we will be working with our law enforcement counterparts as well as neighboring school systems to ensure that we implement stronger communication protocols when sharing information related to the safety and security of our children."

HCPSS was reviewing its process for selecting substitutes and would be implementing periodic background checks, according to Martirano.

Anyone who suspects their child may have had an inappropriate encounter with Mr. Katz or any other individual is asked to call the Howard County Police Department at 410-313-2630 or the Department of Social Services at 410-872-4203.

Katz worked for six years in HCPSS, according to the superintendent, who said over the past two years, Katz was involved in more than 40 schools. Elementary Schools