Walnut Creek charter school employee accused of raping underage student enters plea

(KRON) — An employee at an East Bay charter school accused of forcibly raping an underage student entered a plea of not guilty during a court appearance Monday. Gerard Michael Flaherty, an administrator at the Contra Costa School of Performing Arts, was arrested last week for allegedly having sex with an underage student.

According to court filings, Flaherty, 43, is facing one count of Forcible Rape-Child Victim Over 14 Years, one count of Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony-Victim Under 18, and one count of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse.

The filings state that on Feb. 19, 2025, Flaherty “did unlawfully have and accomplish an act of sexual intercourse with a person,” that was “not his/her spouse, against said person’s will, by means of force, violence, duress, menace and fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on said person and another.”

The victim, identified as Jane Doe, was a child 14 years of age and older, filings state.

Prosecutors are seeking an enhancement for Aggravated Circumstances, stating that Flaherty “personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim or another person in the commission of the present offense.”

Prosecutors are also seeking an enhancement on the count of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse for a Special Allegation-Great Bodily Injury.

Flaherty will return to court on May 13 to set a date for the preliminary hearing of evidence against him, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. He is currently being held without bail.