Arlington police have charged a former Washington-Liberty High School basketball coach with sexual offenses and are seeking possible additional victims.
George Porcha, 53, of Winterville, North Carolina, is charged with carnal knowledge of a minor and taking indecent liberties with children, per an Arlington County Police Department press release sent out this evening (Tuesday).
ACPD started its investigation in October 2022 after receiving information about possible offenses Porcha committed, involving minors, between 2000 and 2003, when he coached girls basketball coach at Washington-Liberty, then named Washington-Lee.
As a result of the investigation, warrants were issued this month for offenses involving two female victims who were juveniles and students at W-L at the time of the incidents, per the press release, which noted additional information is restricted following Virginia code.
During his tenure at W-L, he was the 2001 National District Coach of the Year, according to InsideNova. Porcha went on to be the head girls basketball coach at T.C. Williams High School, now Alexandria City High School, from 2004-07.
About a decade later, he coached the boys basketball team at Woodbridge High School from 2014-16 before leaving for Ole Miss, InsideNova reported at the time.
Porcha has also made the rounds coaching at colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, Ole Miss and Boston College. He was let go from Virginia Tech in the fall of 2022, per the Roanoke Times.
This remains an active criminal investigation, ACPD says. Anyone who has additional information related to this investigation or has had past inappropriate encounters with this suspect is asked to contact Detective P. Pena at 703-228-4183 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
An ART bus and driver (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) Starting this month, Arlington students can now get free Metrobus rides throughout Arlington.
This builds on a program in place since 2022 allowing students with iRide SmarTrip card to ride Arlington Transit (ART) buses for free. Students who live in Arlington and are enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade can obtain these cards from Commuter Stores in Arlington or, if they are APS students, through their schools.
Now, students with these cards will have free access to Metrobus’ greater range of service and hours, per a county press release. They will be able to travel to destinations that ART routes do not reach, including some schools, such as Swanson Middle School.
“APS is excited about the expansion of the Student iRide Fare Free Program to include Metrobus service within Arlington,” APS Director of Facilities and Operations Cathy Lin said in a statement. “This opportunity expands access for our students to travel in Arlington on public transit buses.”
The new program also responds to an increase in student ridership that the county ties to free ART travel for students. Arlington County reported that student ridership increased from 61,060 riders between January and September 2022 to 108,365 during the same period in 2023.
“We are encouraged to see that student ridership on ART bus has increased since the rollout of the student fare free program in 2022,” Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors told ARLnow. “Our hope is that by expanding iRide to Metrobus, more young people will become comfortable and familiar using public transportation to get around Arlington safely and sustainably.”
Pors says there are currently no plans to expand the program to include Metrorail. Students can still access the Metro with an iRide SmarTrip card but they will have to pay the full fare amount.
The Arlington County Board approved the agreement with WMATA and the county in July 2023, the county press release says. The county allocated $360,000 in the 2024 fiscal year budget to reimburse Metrobus for the student rides.
Arlington County has taken other steps to make bus rides fare-free, including its free rush hour service on ART buses. Initially set to expire in December, the program was extended through this month.
CODE 1: Due to the Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Arlington tomorrow, all APS schools and offices will be closed Fri, Jan. 19, 2024. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.
The National Weather Service is currently predicting 2-3 inches of snow for Arlington, with the flakes starting to fly before sunrise.
Winter Weather Advisories have been expanded across southern MD & central VA. Snow amounts range from a 0.5-2" in these locations with 2-5" along & north of I-66/US-50. Snow moves in from the west between 1-5am & wraps up east of the mountains between 7-11pm. #MDwx#VAwx#Wvwxpic.twitter.com/kxXxj0QHY6
After a snow day today, Arlington students will be going back to school on Wednesday — but on a two-hour delay.
Arlington Public Schools made the following announcement at 6 p.m.
Wed, Jan. 17, 2024: Code 2 – All APS Schools & Offices Will Open 2 Hours Late
CODE 2: Due to hazardous conditions resulting from yesterday’s storm, all APS schools and offices will open two hours late tomorrow, Wed, Jan. 17, 2024. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late and morning field trips are canceled. Custodial and maintenance staff and food service workers should report to work at their regularly scheduled time. All other employees should report to work two hours past their usual start time. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.
Neighboring Alexandria and Fairfax County also announced two hour delays for Wednesday. Alexandria City Public Schools cited “extreme temperatures and the potential for hazardous conditions” as the reason for the delayed opening.
An Arlington Public Schools employee clears snow from in front of Barrett Elementary School in 2015 (file photo)
(Updated at midnight) There will be no classes for Arlington Public Schools students Tuesday.
The snow day means at least a four-day weekend for students, when combined with today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. APS made the announcement around 6 p.m.
CODE 1: All APS schools and offices will be closed tomorrow, Tue, Jan. 16, 2024. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.
Nearby Alexandria, Fairfax County, D.C. and Montgomery County have also announced snow days. The area is, as of 11 p.m., under a Winter Storm Warning, with a couple of additional inches of accumulation expected overnight.
Arlington County government offices and courts, meanwhile, will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, while libraries are set to open at noon, the county announced Monday night. The federal government will be closed.
Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government in-person facilities and Judicial Court proceedings will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, unless otherwise stated. Libraries will open at noon.
At Reagan National Airport, the FAA is reporting, as of midnight, a Ground Stop due to snow and ice.
NBC 4 chief meteorologist Doug Kammerer said on social media that he arrived on an flight that’s now stranded on the tarmac at DCA while snow is cleared from runways. There are numerous other reports on social media of passengers stranded on planes at the airport.
Well DCA is shut down. We are on the tarmac, but not allowed to move until the runways are cleared off. Looks like it will be a while. Glad I made it home, but Doubtful I see you at 11. @amelia_draper will have you covered. #SNOW
Reagan National (DCA) is a MESS. Terrible comms between pilots and deicing trucks are being reported. Airlines caught off guard with DC Show. Jets blowing past DOT limits of 3 hours of full planes sitting on runways waiting for gates. Full jets lined up on runaways. Pilots… pic.twitter.com/DGoIJShfsm
Snow continues at a steady pace across the DMV with some spots reporting 1-2” already. Roads are becoming snow covered which is leading to hazardous travel conditions. Please take it easy out there! #vawx#mdwx#dcwxpic.twitter.com/LNt17APGr7
— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) January 16, 2024
Person working on laptop (Photo by Burst on Unsplash)
(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools experienced a data breach this week affecting information it collects for visitors to school buildings.
The school system notified people of “externally exposed” data in a message sent this afternoon (Friday). The breach is part of a broader leak, reported this morning, affecting some schools in the U.S. that, like APS, use a visitor management system from Raptor Technologies.
“Arlington Public Schools was contacted this week by our Visitor Management System vendor, Raptor Technologies, regarding the discovery of some APS data that was externally exposed for an unspecified timeframe,” Chief Operating Officer Dr. John Mayo said in the message, which APS shared with ARLnow.
“At this time, we do not know what specific APS information was exposed or if it was accessed by anyone,” he continued.
The leaked information could relate to government-issued IDs.
The visitor management software that Raptor Technologies offers screens each visitor’s government-issued ID card against sex offender registries in all 50 states and “an unlimited number of custom databases,” according to its website.
This information is collected when visitors enter and exit a building, according to someone familiar with how APS uses the system. The technology also scans APS ID badges, for those who have them, and is used partly for substitutes to record when they show up for work.
Visitors receive a badge with their photo, name, role, destination and date and time of entry, according to Raptor.
APS says Raptor took action after learning of the breach.
“Upon learning of the breach, Raptor secured the accessible information and initiated an investigation,” Mayo’s message said. “This issue has affected many school systems nationwide, not only APS. For your awareness, this system is used to manage visitors and volunteers entering our facilities. APS utilizes a limited number of services offered by Raptor, compared to the full range of its capabilities.”
The school system says it is working with Raptor and will give updates as it learns more information.
“The safety of our students, staff and community is our utmost priority, and we will continue working with Raptor to ensure that all necessary steps are being taken to safeguard the information in Raptor,” Mayo said.
This was not the only tech issue that APS faced this week.
It appears APS used up all of its allotted Google cloud storage space — 122 terabytes, or roughly 5 gigabytes per user — according to June Prakash, the head of the local teachers union, Arlington Education Association.
“Some staff could not access email or other documents including plans for the upcoming days,” she said.
On Saturday, APS got to work to resolve issues some users reported, including being unable to save documents, according an email sent to staff. By Monday, “the issue reported with Google has been resolved,” a follow-up email said.
An APS spokesman later said the brief disruption was caused by a “service subscription issue between our retailer and Google,” and the school system worked to ensure the service was restored on Monday morning.
Police at Washington-Liberty High School in Sept. 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) A “mob” of seven boys is facing serious charges after allegedly attacking another teen at Washington-Liberty High School.
The fight happened around 3:15 p.m. — five minutes after school dismissal — on Tuesday but police were not called until an hour later. A tipster tells ARLnow that it took place inside the school.
The victim went to a hospital on his own, with a non-life-threatening laceration, according to Arlington County police. ACPD is seeking “Malicious Wounding by Mob” charges against the attackers.
Washington-Liberty’s principal sent the following email to families about the incident this afternoon.
Dear W-L Community,
During dismissal yesterday at approximately 3:15 p.m., several W-L students were involved in a significant verbal and physical altercation with another student. Our staff responded to break up the group of students and contacted law enforcement. We have been in communication with the families of the students involved and have applied appropriate disciplinary consequences.
The initial police report is provided below. Washington-Liberty is collaborating with the ACPD on its investigation and continues to talk with other students not directly involved who may have additional information.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY MOB (late), 2024-01090125, 1300 block of N. Stafford Street. At approximately 4:19 p.m. on January 9, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 3:15 p.m., a verbal dispute occurred between a group of juveniles, during which the juvenile male victim was allegedly assaulted by a group of approximately seven juvenile male suspects. The victim sustained a laceration and self-reported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Petitions are pending for the juvenile suspects for Malicious Wounding by Mob.
We take these incidents very seriously and will continue to take all necessary steps to keep students and staff safe. These actions do not reflect our core values and beliefs at Washington-Liberty and under no circumstances do we condone this type of behavior. Please talk to your student about the consequences of their actions if they get involved in an altercation like this.
I apologize for the delay in updating the broader W-L community regarding this incident, as my immediate focus was on communicating with the students and families directly involved and cooperating with the ACPD on its investigation.
If you have any questions or further information about this incident, please contact me 703-228-6202.
ARLnow asked police about a motive for the attack and whether it was captured on video.
“A verbal dispute preceded the assault and the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation,” said ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb. “During the course of the preliminary investigation, evidence was recovered. To ensure the integrity of the investigation and prosecution, there are no additional details to provide at this time.”
Wakefield High School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
There was another possible overdose at Wakefield High School last week.
Around 1:20 p.m., medics were dispatched to Wakefield for a report of an unconscious person, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner.
“The patient was transported to Virginia Hospital Center in stable condition,” he said.
Police were then dispatched around 2:15 p.m. to VHC Health, formerly Virginia Hospital Center, for reports of a possible overdose, Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said.
“The preliminary investigation indicates a juvenile female was transported from Wakefield High School to the hospital for medical treatment,” she said. “The incident was investigated as an overdose and the juvenile suffered non-life-threatening injuries.”
ACPD did not provide more information, citing Virginia law, which requires law enforcement agencies to ensure juvenile records are not disclosed to unauthorized parties.
Wakefield staff also called ACPD following the medical incident, says school system spokesman Andrew Robinson, noting this is consistent with the memorandum of understanding between Arlington Public Schools and ACPD “when there might be a possibility of a potential overdose in our schools.”
Arlington Public Schools and ACPD began inking an MOU two years ago, after the Arlington School Board voted to remove School Resource Officers from school grounds. The MOU was last updated in September to enumerate the emergency situations that trigger a call to police, including potential overdose incidents. Example emergency situations were not previously included in a previous draft from the spring of 2022.
“The MOU with ACPD is reviewed annually and tweaks are often made to further enhance and strengthen the partnership with APS,” Robinson said.
As for how the incident was communicated to the Wakefield community, Robinson said families received the following message from APS on Thursday afternoon.
This message is to inform you that emergency personnel responded to Wakefield High School briefly today to assist with a medical incident involving a student. The family of the student has been notified. As some of our students observed the first responders in our building, we wanted to ensure you are aware that the incident was resolved, and everyone is safe.
Robinson says the school system has a standard medical emergency message and APS does not disclose the nature of medical emergencies for student privacy and confidentiality reasons.
Since the fatal overdose of a 14-year-old Wakefield student nearly one year ago, APS has stepped up prevention education and counseling, the Arlington School Board permitted high schoolers to carry Narcan and a private treatment facility resumed admitting teen patients.
Still, underage overdose incidents have persisted, including last fall, when two girls survived overdoses at Wakefield, after which police charged a teen and a 19-year-old man with a battery of charges.
(Separately, police were dispatched to Yorktown High School today for what was initially reported to be an overdose. It was later determined to just be a medical emergency, Savage told ARLnow.)
Last November, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 28 requiring schools to notify all parents of school-involved overdoses within 24 hours. He directed the Virginia Dept. of Education to develop guidance for schools as they implement any changes to their communications with families.
Within a month, VDOE posted interim best practices interpreting the text of the executive order. VDOE did not respond to ARLnow’s request for more information about how the state will track whether schools follow the executive order.
Arlington School Board Vice Chair David Priddy during the Jan. 3, 2024 meeting (via Arlington Democrats)
Arlington School Board Vice Chair David Priddy says he will not be seeking another term.
He was elected in 2020 along with Cristina Diaz-Torres, who currently serves as the School Board Chair and last month announced that she too would step down after one term. Both of their terms expire at the end of this year, meaning two seats are up for election this year.
“Although I’m making this announcement tonight, there is still one year left on my term,” Priddy told Arlington Democrats during the party’s reorganization meeting last night (Wednesday). “So I will continue to stand on the pillars that you put me in office to enact. Thank you for allowing me to serve the Arlington community.”
Priddy said he would not repeat the “litany of accomplishments and the progress that we have made on the School Board” that Diaz-Torres mentioned in her farewell speech. Instead, he rallied Democrats around the presidential election year ahead.
“The Arlington Democrats are truly a force to be reckoned with,” he said, pointing to the work local Democrats have done, in Arlington and beyond, to promote the values of the Democratic Party. “I bring this up because this year is a presidential election year, which means it’s time to mobilize and elect the right people for office.”
Priddy noted School Board hopefuls have until Feb. 16 to file with Arlington Democrats. The party cannot officially nominate a candidate but it can opt to endorse candidates who pledge to be a Democrat.
The party decided to hold an in-person caucus if at least three candidates emerge, according to the 2024 caucus rules discussed last night. The caucus would be canceled if only two emerge and the party would decide whether to endorse those candidates in March.
Nabbing the party endorsement carries significant weight in Arlington and, though some have criticized this process for tipping the scales in favor of well-connected establishment candidates, it remains popular among party members.
After Priddy’s announcement, Chen Ling announced his candidacy for School Board. He introduced himself as the parent of a third grader at Ashlawn Elementary School and the director of engineering at a Fortune 500 company.
He said the School Board needs a “culture of transparency, respect and trust.”
“Some of the actions taken by the School Board in the last few years instead caused confusion and discontentment between parents and teachers,” he said, noting “seemingly suboptimal proposals” that created an “antagonistic relationship between the community and School Board.”
New School Board candidate Chen Ling during the Jan. 3, 2024 Arlington Democrats meeting (via Arlington Democrats)
“That is a real shame because I’ve watched the School Board work and these are some really caring, thoughtful people and they are trying their best,” he said. “What I think they lack is tools to make the best decisions, they lack the tools to provide transparency and build trust.”
The School Board should share with parents all the proposals they consider, as well as their trade-offs and reasoning behind a decision, Ling said.
“It’s okay if the final proposal is somehow detrimental to my child if I know that it serves for the community and the school system at large. That’s something that I haven’t seen at that level,” he said. “It’s not enough to provide an answer, even if it’s the correct answer. We need to show our work.”
Ling said he would like to see fewer curriculum changes, as well as more automation of mandated state and federal reporting, so teachers can focus on students. Lastly, he would like to see class size reductions, too.
During the meeting, Arlington County Board candidate Natalie Roy made her pitch to Arlington Democrats. She, and opponent Julie Farnam, both seek the party’s nomination this June in the County Board race to fill the seat occupied by Chair Libby Garvey. Garvey has not yet announced if she will seek reelection.
“I believe the County Board needs a voice like mine, advocating for transparency and responsiveness, I am committed to common sense leadership that brings us all together,” Roy said.
This past Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a memorandum of agreement permitting APS to appoint the same contractor for the Career Center’s construction to handle the road improvements — part of the county’s Neighborhood Complete Streets program — from 5th Street S. to Columbia Pike.
Next, the agreement will head to the Arlington School Board for approval in January.
The upgrades to S. Walter Reed Drive will include new trees, protected bike lanes, a traffic light at the 9th Street S. intersection and improved bus stops. The community broadly supported these enhancements following a series of public feedback sessions held from fall 2020 to spring 2021, per a county staff report.
Currently, construction of the five-story Career Center at 816 S. Walter Reed Drive, slated to start next spring, is set to overlap with the road work. County and school officials agreed to merge the two projects to avoid traffic congestion and construction snags.
“So, essentially, when you have two contractors trying to work in the same place at the same time, somebody gets delayed,” APS Director of Design and Construction Jeffrey Chambers told School Board members during their meeting last Thursday.
Under the plan, the county will foot the bill for the road work, estimated at $7 million, and reimburse APS for any extra administrative costs, the report said.
APS is not required to contribute financially to the road improvements. Still, it must inform the county of any additional expenses due to construction delays. Should the road work exceed its budget, APS must obtain county approval before proceeding.
The bulk of the road work is expected to be completed within the first year of construction, with the final paving and overlay scheduled just before the Career Center opens in August 2026, Chambers said last week.
The funding for the S. Walter Reed Drive road improvements has already been earmarked in the county’s Capital Improvement Plan.
APS is still in the process of securing a contractor for the Career Center, which will host up to 1,619 students and include a four-story parking garage.
Officials plan to present the combined bids for the Career Center construction and road improvements to the County Board in early 2024. The Board will then approve the fund transfer and any additional construction financing.
Williamsburg Middle School (photo via Google Maps)
A stranger tried to lure a Williamsburg Middle School student into her car during Friday’s dismissal, according to police.
Arlington County police are so far classifying the incident as “suspicious,” stopping short of confirming it as an attempted abduction.
ACPD released the following statement about what happened to ARLnow.
At approximately 3:09 p.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to Williamsburg Middle School, located at 3600 N. Harrison Street, for the late report of an enticement. The preliminary investigation indicates between 4:00 and 4:15 p.m. on December 7, a student was waiting to be picked up outside the school when the female subject approached in a black Subaru and reportedly stated she had been sent by the student’s parents to pick them up. When the student declined, the subject drove away. The subject is described as a white female with shoulder length dirty blonde hair. The incident is being investigated as suspicious circumstances and police would like to identify and speak with the female subject. Anyone with information regarding the incident can contact Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected].
The middle school, meanwhile, sent the following to families on Friday evening.
Dear Williamsburg Families:
We wanted to alert you of an incident that happened yesterday at dismissal. A student reported that a woman they did not know approached them outside of school at the pickup loop in a vehicle and told them she was sent by their mom to pick them up. Fortunately, the student had just spoken with their mom and said they would not go with her. The incident has been reported to local law enforcement. Although we have not had incidents like this in the past, it is important for our students and families to exercise caution.
Please remind your students about steps they should take to ensure their safety when they are out in the community:
> Never get in a vehicle or leave the school with an individual you do not know without speaking to a trusted adult first.
> Always report all incidents immediately to an adult (parent, principal, teacher, resource officer) whenever something occurs that makes them feel unsafe.
> Be aware of their surroundings.
> Don’t wear devices that block their hearing or seeing.
> Avoid talking to, engaging with or answering questions to passersby or strangers.
> Always walk or bicycle with at least one buddy in well-lit areas.
> Use a cell phone, if available, to call for help. (If students have cell phones, make sure that emergency numbers are programmed into the phone so they can be dialed quickly. Also, remind your student that the cell phone should not be used during class time at school.)
> Also remind them that if something occurs, they should report it to a trusted adult as soon as possible.
By working together, we can help to ensure that our students have a safe community in which they can continue to grow and learn. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions.
