Pawnee City para charged with child sex assault; no longer employed with district

Mar. 22—A paraprofessional at Pawnee City Public Schools accused of child sex assault and attempting to make sexual contact with a student is no longer employed with the district.

On Tuesday, the Pawnee County Attorney's Office charged Kandice Johnson, 35, with three felonies, including first-degree sexual assault of a child, third-degree sexual abuse by a school employee and child abuse.

Johnson was a middle school para at Pawnee City Public Schools, but is no longer employed, Superintendent Brian Rottinghaus confirmed to the Journal Star.

In court documents, Johnson is accused of having sex with a child who is between the ages of 12-15 sometime in February or March and putting the child "in a situation that endangers his or her life or physical or mental health." It's unclear if the child was a student in the Pawnee City district.

Court records also allege Johnson attempted to make sexual contact with a Pawnee City student between Feb. 1 and March 14.

Last week, Pawnee County Public Schools said it received "reports of off-campus, inappropriate communications and interactions" between Johnson and minor students.

"The school district immediately reported this matter to local law enforcement and collaborated to investigate these reports," the news release states. "An arrest was subsequently made in this matter and the school district took immediate action to end its employment relationship with the involved staff member."

Johnson is out of jail after posting a $25,000 bond.

The Pawnee County Sheriff's Office said it would not comment on the case.

Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS

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