A teacher in Providence, Rhode Island, named Joseph Teno, has been charged with two counts of second-degree child molestation after two students accused him of inappropriate touching. This incident occurred at Esek Hopkins Middle School. Teno was first put on paid leave in December after a sixth-grade girl accused him of touching her inappropriately, and a month later, an eighth-grade girl also made similar accusations. Although Teno has an emergency certification that allows him to teach, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has granted over 400 such certificates to help schools deal with staffing shortages. The district has not revealed why Teno hasn’t been fired, but they did confirm that he completed the necessary background check and had no criminal history other than traffic-related violations. Teno has been arraigned, and he was released on personal recognizance. The school district stated that they take such allegations seriously and that they have ensured that Teno has no further contact with students.