ROGERS, Arkansas — A former Rogers substitute teacher has been arrested and is facing a rape-forcible fondling charge.
72-year-old Richard Forcht was a substitute teacher for the Rogers Public School District (RPSD) as of Nov. 2020, but the district is no longer using him.
His arrest on Wednesday (Feb. 3) is not connected to an incident at a school in Rogers.
RPSD released a statement about Forcht's arrest:
“We have been made aware of the arrest of a substitute teacher with the company we use. Although the charges are not related to his work here, these charges are very concerning, and he will not continue to be a substitute teacher. The last time he worked in our district was in November. Our substitutes are provided by ESS, a company that provides substitutes throughout the area and performs their background checks. We will work closely with them to ensure the safety of our students.”
A bond has been set at $15,000 for Forcht. He is set to appear in court in March.