South San Francisco teacher accused of child molestation dies

(KRON) — A South San Francisco middle school teacher died before his child molestation case stood trial, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Ahmad Waled Rafah, 36, was an eighth grade teacher at Parkway Heights Middle School during the 2024-2025 school year. Rafah was out of custody on $200,000 bail when he died, the DA’s office said, and his cause of death was not released publicly.

In May, one of Rafah’s students reported that her teacher touched her buttocks and told her that he “loved” her, prosecutors said. Four more students also came forward and reported similar inappropriate touching and groping from their teacher.

Prosecutors said Rafah called his students names like “babe” and “my girl.”

“Students reported that they witnessed the defendant getting touchy with the girls in his class and would pull them out of class for no reason. Two of the girls mentioned that the defendant told them that he had a 12 year old wife back at home,” the DA’s office wrote.

The South San Francisco Police Department said it opened an investigation into Rafah “after receiving information that an 8th grade teacher at Parkway Heights Middle School was engaged in inappropriate behavior with juvenile students during the current school year.”

Police arrested the teacher on May 22, and prosecutors charged him with committing lewd acts against a child.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled to begin on August 29. On Friday, the case was dismissed due to the teacher’s death, prosecutors said.