A former Highland Park teacher facing sex misconduct allegations was disguised as an older woman at a school event due to a suspension over a sex toy, police said.
Vincent Weaver, 29, was arraigned Monday afternoon for allegedly grooming and sexually assaulting a student.
Weaver is facing one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of misdemeanor indecent exposure.
He is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old student while he was a teacher at George Washington Carver Academy School. The allegations include inappropriately grooming the student and performing sexual acts on school grounds, according to police.
Highland Park Interim Police Chief James McMahon held a press conference on Monday afternoon to provide more details about the case.
You can watch the full press conference in the video below:
Here’s everything to know about what led to his arrest:
12-year-old student reports alleged assault to parent
Weaver was a fine arts teacher at George Washington Carver Academy School and also coached the school’s dance team.
He began working at the school in August 2023 and was terminated in May 2025.
On May 15, a 12-year-old student had told their parent about the alleged sexual misconduct involving Weaver. The parent then reported what they had learned to the school at about 2 p.m. that day, and the school immediately notified the police department.
Weaver was arrested within 24 hours. He was taken into custody at an off-site school event on Friday, May 16.
Police say the alleged misconduct went on for four months before his arrest.
“I want to commend the victim and their family for having the courage to come forward and talk to us and explain what happened,” said McMahon. “That’s probably one of the most difficult things that they had to do, and we certainly appreciate them confiding in us and allowing us to bring them justice.”
Suspended for separate incident
McMahon said Weaver had choreographed a show that George Washington Carver Academy students were set to perform on May 16. The performance was held at a local college.
School officials told police that Weaver really wanted to attend the event, but they advised him not to due to a suspension related to a separate incident.
Police revealed that Weaver had been suspended on May 2 after a sex toy had fallen out of his work bag during class.
Disguises self as elderly woman
Despite being told not to show up, Weaver allegedly dressed as an elderly woman to attend the event so school staff members wouldn’t recognize him.
He allegedly wore a wig, a surgical mask and oversized clothing and limped into the event.
The chief said it was a “somewhat impressive costume” but raised red flags because he was wearing a scarf and didn’t appear to be dressed for the weather that day.
Taken into custody
Security notified police that there was a suspicious person on site, and Weaver was only at the event for about 10 minutes before he was taken into custody, police said.
Arraignment
Weaver was arraigned on the charges Monday afternoon. He stood mute, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
Highland Park Magistrate John Bennett issued a $250,000 cash/surety bond. If released on bond, Weaver must wear a GPS tether and have no contact with the victim or any minors.
Reporting sexual misconduct to police
The chief said counselors from Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network will be at the school on Tuesday, May 20.
Any other victims are encouraged to come forward and report any instances of sexual misconduct to the Highland Park Police Department at 313-255-0050 ext. 406.
School releases statement
The school released the following statement about the allegations on Monday afternoon:
“George Washington Carver Academy was recently made aware of an incident involving a teacher and student. We immediately notified law enforcement, placed the employee on suspension, and after an internal investigation, terminated their employment and removed them from campus.
We are fully cooperating with the Highland Park Police in their ongoing investigation and please ask that you direct any further inquiries to them.
Our immediate, top priority and focus remains the safety and well-being of our students and their families, and we are committed to supporting them with appropriate resources during this time.
Thank you for your continued trust and support."
Sylvia Brown, MA, M.Ed, Superintendent, George Washington Carver Academy