Trial scheduled to begin next week for school assistant at Bristol County school who was arraigned on rape, other charges, concerning students

The trial is expected to start next week in Fall River court for a now former school assistant from Southeastern Voke in Easton who was arrested in March of 2020 on some disturbing charges.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Matthew Parris of Raynham, was arraigned in Taunton on a list of charges.

Court records show that Parris was later indicted in superior court on aggravated rape of a child with 10-year age difference (four counts), rape of a child with force (two counts), indecent assault & battery on a person 14 or over, and lascivious pose/exhibit child in the nude.

Parris had been an assistant at the school for approximately a year and a half.

School Superintendent Luis Lopes issued a statement at the time to students, parents, and staff. It read, in part:

“On Thursday we were notified of a potentially serious and completely inappropriate incident between one of our teaching assistants and several students. Given the seriousness of the accusations and the facts gathered by our administrative team, that individual’s employment was immediately terminated at Southeastern. Furthermore, that person is not allowed on school property and is not allowed any contact with our students.”

According to WCVB, a probable cause narrative written by Easton police stated that detectives interviewed a female student, who told them about two sexual encounters. According to the document, one took place in a car and another in a shed behind the school’s shop. Detectives then said that the school identified a second victim who told investigators about a forced sexual encounter in the storage shed and a car.

The trial is expected to start Monday in Fall River Superior Court.