A Massachusetts teacher who was recognised as one of Amazon’s Future Engineer Teachers of the Year in 2022 has been arrested on allegations that he sexually abused a 14-year-old student during the same school year in which he received the national honour.According to the New York Post, citing the Essex District Attorney’s Office, 38-year-old Tymond Tran has been indicted on multiple charges stemming from alleged incidents that took place while he was teaching eighth grade at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Lynn during the 2022-23 academic year.
Faces multiple charges
A grand jury indicted Tran on charges including aggravated rape of a child with a 10-year age difference, indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 or older, posing or exhibiting a child in the nude, and providing obscene matter to a minor.Authorities have not disclosed the exact nature of the alleged relationship between Tran and the student or provided further details about the accusations.Tran pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Essex County Superior Court on Wednesday. According to the New York Post, he was released under 24-hour house arrest with GPS monitoring and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 26.
Awarded by Amazon in 2022
The allegations date back to the same year Tran was named one of only 10 recipients nationwide of the Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award, which included a $5,000 prize.Most recently, Tran worked as a technology teacher at Lowell Community Charter Public School. School officials said his employment was suspended and terminated immediately after they were informed of the criminal charges.In a statement quoted by the New York Post, the school said Tran had cleared all required state and federal background checks before being hired, as the charges were not filed until June 2026.
Officials react
Following Tran’s arraignment, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and Superintendent Molly Cohen said they were “shocked and disturbed” by the allegations.“Our primary concern is for the well-being of the former LPS student. Our hope for that student is healing and justice,” they said in a joint statement, adding that counselling support would be made available and that the school district would cooperate with law enforcement while conducting its own independent investigation.
