photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Raintree Montessori School, 4601 Clinton Parkway, is pictured on Friday, July 8, 2022.

A number of parents of students attending Lawrence’s Raintree Montessori School expressed concern, fear and anger on Friday at what they called a lack of information from law enforcement and school officials regarding an employee who has been accused of committing child sex crimes at the school.

The 19-year-old employee of Raintree Montessori, Mateo Emilio Clavel Wills, was formally charged on Thursday in Douglas County District Court with four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in connection with lewd fondling or touching involving a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old. The charge is an off-grid felony, which comes with a potential life sentence.

Raintree Montessori, 4601 Clinton Parkway, according to its website, is an “independent school for children 18 months through 14 years of age” that focuses on interactive learning for younger children and vocational and social training for older students.

On Friday, the morning after Wills was charged, multiple parents of students in the classroom where he worked reached out to the Journal-World to share their frustrations with the lack of communication. The parents, who said they were shaken and “scared,” have asked to remain anonymous to protect their children’s identities.

“How did this person interact with my kid?” one parent with a 5-year-old in the affected classroom said he asked a school administrator. He told the Journal-World that the administrator told him the school would not answer any questions.

The Journal-World reached out to Raintree Montessori School with multiple questions about the allegations, including how the allegations came to light and how the situation was being handled with parents and students. The school did not answer any questions, but gave only this response, via Heather Eichhorn, co-head of Raintree:

“Our first and foremost goal is fostering a safe environment and protecting the well-being of our students. Raintree is cooperating fully with authorities during this active investigation, and are following all appropriate KDHE regulations and guidelines.” KDHE refers to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Eichhorn added that “all questions related to the investigation should be directed to the Lawrence Police Department.”

The Lawrence Police Department on Thursday told the Journal-World that the investigation was ongoing and that because the case involves allegations of sex crimes, no further details would be immediately available.

The parent frustrated with the lack of answers said he was not even informed that police were at the school Wednesday questioning Wills before he was arrested later that day.

“They had law enforcement in the building on Wednesday investigating a predator, but I wasn’t informed,” the parent said.

The parent said that the school didn’t send his family an email until Thursday afternoon. Another parent said some parents read about the alleged crimes in the Journal-World before they heard from the school.

A copy of the email obtained by the Journal-World, which appears to have been sent to parents seven minutes before Wills was scheduled to appear in court at 3 p.m. Thursday, did not explain the nature of the allegations, but stated only that a part-time staff member had been arrested and an investigation was underway.

The full text of the email as provided by the parent is as follows:

“Dear Parents, Yesterday we were shocked to learn that a Raintree part-time staff member was being investigated by the police as to an incident at Raintree. After learning about the investigation, this individual was given a leave of absence and will not be on the Raintree campus. This afternoon the police informed us that the individual has been arrested. We are fully cooperating with the police and KDHE as we wish for a thorough and unbiased investigation. We are sorry but we are unable to provide any additional information at this time. Please know that we are fully committed to assist with the authorities and to continue to provide a safe environment for your children.”

The email was signed by 

Eichhorn and Saasha Huston, identified as assistant head of school on the school’s website.

The parent said he had always loved Raintree but was upset by the lack of communication. He didn’t know if his child would keep attending the school.

“I’m really trying to figure out if they are going back,” the parent said.

Another parent with a 6-year-old in the classroom said she also received an email from the school saying that an investigation was underway but that the email did not indicate that allegations of sexual misconduct were involved.

“I’m not necessarily getting any information from the school,” the parent said.

That parent also was upset that she was not informed until just before Wills had his first appearance in Douglas County District Court.

Both parents said they were told by a police detective that the two children who have been identified as possible victims were the only children who are currently a part of their investigation.

However, on Thursday Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden said prosecutors expected to file additional charges related to the two children and they were investigating whether other children may have been affected.

As previously reported by the Journal-World, during Wills’ court appearance Thursday afternoon, Seiden said that Wills had worked at the child-care facility since November 2021 and that he was responsible for watching children during nap time, which is when the crimes are alleged to have happened.

Lawrence police spokeswoman Laura McCabe said investigators were working closely with “our community partners, including the Child Advocacy Center, to provide resources to anyone affected by the situation.”

“We understand the public’s concerns and will provide more information as we’re able,” she added.

Judge Blake Glover on Thursday set Wills’ bond at $750,000, as requested by Seiden. Defense attorney Michael Clarke was appointed to represent Wills, whose next court date is Wednesday. One condition of Wills’ bond, if he posts it, is that he could not return to his own home, where children reside. Wills was still in the custody of the Douglas County Jail as of Friday afternoon.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has declined to release Wills’ booking photo.