Former Catholic school teacher charged with child sex crimes; Ogburn endorses Vithoulkas for Henrico School Board

Sep 15, 2023

This week in Henrico education news, a former third grade teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School was charged with multiple counts of child sex crimes. The Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the school administration responded to the charges in two letters.

Three Chopt District school board member Micky Ogburn also endorsed candidate Kristen Vithoulkas to succeed her on the board and take the Three Chopt seat. Vithoulkas is running against Eleina Espigh and Madison Irving.

School teacher indicted

A former third grade teacher of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Henrico was indicted Sept. 11 on multiple counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and aggravated sexual battery.

Daro Ing has been charged with nine counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under thirteen years old and four counts of indecent acts with a child custodian, according to court records.

The school, which serves students pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, released a statement Sept. 11 to Lourdes families from Principal Carey Mae Jacobsen and Pastor Jonathan Goertz addressing the charges.

“We are devastated by this situation,” Jacobsen and Goertz said in the statement. “It is our ongoing commitment and our deepest desire to give our children a safe and secure environment surrounded by those who exemplify Christ in their actions.”

Henrico School Board member Micky Ogburn, who is vacating the Three Chopt District seat on the board at the end of the year, endorsed candidate Kristen Vithoulkas for the school board’s Three Chopt seat on Sept. 12.

Vithoulkas is among three candidates running for the Three Chopt position, along with Eleina Espigh and Madison Irving. Ogburn announced earlier this year that she is not seeking re-election.

Ogburn is the first currently sitting board member to endorse a candidate to succeed her position on the board. School board vice chair Alicia Atkins, who is seeking re-election for the board’s Varina seat, endorsed Irving for the school board’s Three Chopt seat on Aug. 29.

As of June 30, Espigh had raised $3,150 and Irving had raised $6,230, according to the Virginia Access Project. Vithoulkas joined the race shortly before this reporting period, so VPAP lists Vithoulkas as raising $0.

In August, the SONIC Foundation donated $1 million to help fund requests to Donors Choose, a national nonprofit that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom requests submitted by teachers. The $1 million donation is part of the SONIC® Drive-In brand’s Limeades for Learning initiative, designed to help teachers and students get the classroom supplies they need for the new school year.

In the Richmond area, 34 teachers received a combined donation of $6,770 from the SONIC Foundation. Among the Henrico schools and projects benefitting from the grants are…