Honk News (Brandywine, DL) – A former emotional support therapist from the Brandywine School District, whose falsified qualifications sparked a major controversy last summer and resulted in a senior administrator’s dismissal, has admitted guilt in a child rape case.
John Arnold, 48, was apprehended in July for the repeated rape of a student not enrolled in Brandywine. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree rape, as confirmed by the Delaware Department of Justice.
While a sentencing date remains unscheduled, the charges carry a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment. Arnold’s arrest, coupled with investigative reporting by Delaware Online/The News Journal, triggered a series of repercussions in the district, culminating in the termination of Nicole Warner, the district’s former director of educational services.
Warner’s dismissal was linked to her and her subordinate, Melissa Frabizzio, the Supervisor of Special Education Compliance, failing to act after a Nemours Children’s Health psychologist flagged concerns about Arnold in spring 2024. At the time, Arnold was employed at Lombardy Elementary School.
The concerns raised were not sexual but focused on Arnold’s interactions with a student, his qualifications, and his conduct toward a Nemours intern.
Although Frabizzio assured Nemours of a thorough investigation, the allegations—many later substantiated—went unexamined for months. It wasn’t until Arnold’s arrest that the district’s Human Resources Department was informed.