ROANOKE, Va. – A Garden City Elementary School teacher has been charged with five counts of possession of child pornography, according to court records and Roanoke City Public Schools.
48-year-old Brian Civitts was arrested in Craig County on March 13.
Roanoke City Public Schools released a statement to families at the school saying:
“Good afternoon, Garden City families.
Today, we became aware of a social media post circulating about one of our employees. The post detailed the arrest and charges against the employee in Craig County for possession of child pornography. Roanoke City Public Schools was not notified when these charges were filed and only became aware of this information today.
While we are limited in what we can say due to the police investigation, we do want to let you know that the employee has been on leave for unrelated reasons since February 28 and has not been on school property since then. The employee’s employment status will be determined pending the results of an ongoing investigation.
Roanoke City Public Schools and Garden City Elementary School take the safety and well-being of our students seriously, and it is our top priority. Prior to employment, all applicants are vetted through a rigorous process of background checks and reviews. Continuous training and attention to student safety and well-being is an ongoing focus in RCPS.
As educators, we are entrusted with the well-being of the children in our care every day. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We are dedicated to supporting our Garden City community in any way we can and encourage students and families in need of counseling to reach out to their school counselor, sign up for counseling through Hazel Health, or to call Carilion Connect at (540) 981-8181 for immediate assistance.”
Civitts previously worked in Craig County Public Schools for a time.
According to Craig County Public Schools, Civitts was employed by a counseling service contracted by the school division from Sept. to Dec. 2014.
We’re told in Craig County, he was also hired as a provisional teacher from Dec. 2022 to May 2023.
“A background check was conducted on 10/24/22 and revealed no offenses involving minors. There were no instances of wrongdoing or misconduct during his employment. The provisional contract was not renewed at the end of the 2022-23 school year,” Craig County Superintendent C. Dwayne Huff told 10 News.
Craig County Sheriff Lloyd Craddock said Civitts arrest resulted from a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force based in Bedford County.
Civitts is being held at the Botetourt County Jail and is set to appear in court on June 18.