NAPA, Calif. — A Napa County school principal is facing prosecution for failing to report that one of his staff members was suspected of sexually abusing a student.

Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley on Thursday announced the filing of one charge of failure of a mandated reporter to report suspected child abuse or neglect against American Canyon High School Principal Andrew Goff, 61, of Napa.

The case is in connection with allegations of child molestation made against a former track and field coach and teacher at the high school.

As an employee of the Napa Valley Unified School District, Goff is a mandated reporter and it is alleged he was notified of a suspected sexual relationship between a student and faculty member Brad Rowell, 41.

The district attorney further alleges that Goff failed to report this information in a timely manner to either law enforcement or child welfare services.

Rowell, who is being held at the Napa County Department of Corrections with a bail amount of $500,000, is charged with 25 felony counts of lewd act upon a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation of a person under 18, and possession of photos and videos depicting a minor engaging in sexual conduct.

It’s also alleged that the sex crimes Rowell is accused of took place in multiple jurisdictions, that the crimes involved vulnerable victims and that he committed the crimes from a position of trust.

The charge against Goff of failure of a mandated reporter to report child abuse or neglect is a misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to six months confinement in a county jail or by a fine of $1,000, or by both imprisonment and fine.

Arraignment is scheduled for July 11 2024, at 8:30 a.m., in Napa County Superior Court.

“The point of mandated reporter laws is to ensure that the most vulnerable among us who may have difficulty finding the courage or the resources to ask for help are given support,” Deputy District Attorney Shashawnya Worley said. “Our office will enforce those laws so that crime survivors are protected, cases are investigated and ongoing abuse is stopped.”