A 10-year-old student was sexually assaulted in the Washington Elementary School District

On November 19, 2025, a student was reportedly raped after being lured into an unlocked classroom at Orangewood Elementary School.

Arizona’s Family headline says, “Sex offender allegedly posed as doctor, assaulted young girl at Phoenix school.” Orangewood has a physical address in Phoenix but is governed by the Washington Elementary School District, which is headquartered in Glendale.

On November 20, Arizona’s Family reported:

“A sex offender is back in jail after Phoenix police say he snuck into an elementary school and posed as a doctor before sexually assaulting a young girl…

“According to court documents, [Abel] Gblah told a 10-year-old girl that he was a doctor and that she needed to go with him into an empty classroom because he ‘needed to perform tests.’

“In the classroom, Gblah allegedly pulled down the child’s pants and sexually assaulted her. When the girl told him to stop and pushed him away, he reportedly left the school.”

The suspect was not stopped, questioned, or required to show any identification after following the victim inside the building. According to the report an unnamed employee was placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

WESD’s public statement said, in part:

“On Wednesday, November 19, Orangewood administration was made aware of an unauthorized male on campus…Upon investigation, it was determined that the individual gained access behind a student who was buzzed in through the main entrance. He was on campus for approximately 10 minutes, and during that time, he made inappropriate contact with a student.”

Abel Gblah, the suspect who allegedly attacked a WESD student; Photo source: Arizona’s Family

During the November 20 school board meeting, one parent from Orangewood stated that he was “disappointed” and “pissed off” about how WESD handled the situation. He said he received an email at noon on November 19 announcing that the school was locked down. The next morning, around 8 am, he received another email that said a student had been attacked. He learned from sources outside of WESD that the student was raped on school grounds.

Another parent wept as she expressed how her trust in the district had been broken due to the lack of communication and failure to follow safety procedures. She said she always shows identification before entering a school building and did not understand why that protocol wasn’t followed this time.

Listen to their public comments below.

WESD kicked off the board meeting by promoting its “A” rated schools and posing for photos. At the end of the kudos ceremony, the announcer stated:

“In December, we will be recognizing Orangewood Elementary. They were unable to be here tonight; obviously, they’re dealing with a difficult situation. We wish the community well.”

Although Open Meeting Laws bar school board members from directly responding to public comments, none of the representatives formally acknowledged the victim or her family during their speeches.

WESD Board President Kyle Clayton—one of five board members who voted to terminate student-teaching contracts with a Christian university—claimed they were unable to comment due to an open investigation.

This story is still developing. Please send tips and updates to info@rpredu.org.