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QUINCYThe jury trial of Jeffrey Knight, a former Cohasset teacher accused of inappropriately touching a student, started Monday in a small second-floor courtroom in Quincy District Court.

Prosecutors say Knight, a science and engineering teacher, touched the student in a sexual manner startingin 2017, when she was 13 years old. Prosecutors are trying Knight on one charge each of indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14,indecent assault and battery on a child older than 14 and assault and battery.

A grand jury declined to indict Knight on the charges. An indictmentwould have moved his case into Superior Court, where more serious crimes are tried.

The case is one of two currently open against Knight after allegations brought by former students.

Knight, wearinga navy blue blazer and a blue tie, huddled with his wife and son before the court session started on Monday. Jury selection finished by noon, and opening arguments followed. Knight's accuser testified Monday afternoon.

Knight is also expected to testify, as is at least one Cohasset police officer and witnesses to the alleged abuse. The Patriot Ledger does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.

Former Cohasset Middle-High School PrincipalCarolyn Connolly is also scheduledto testify. Assistant Norfolk County District Attorney Sarah Lelle said in court that Connolly's testimony could run into her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself for failing to tell thestate about the student's allegations. The district attorney's office has not charged her in the matter.

The accuser, 14 at the time, first brought the allegations to school administrators in February 2018. Instead of notifying the stateDepartment of Children and Families, as required by law, administrators tried to conducttheir own investigation into the claims.

More: Jeffrey Knight, former Cohasset teacher accused of touching student, goes on trial today

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Connollywas put on leave in 2018 as the Cohasset School District'sinvestigation played out.

Before jury selection began Monday, several finalmotions were sorted out, and a tense scene played over the inclusion of a potential student witnessfound at the last minute.

Judge Mark Coven denied letting the prosecution call the witness, saying they had three years to find him and that it was too close to trial to introduce him.

"This is a failing of the commonwealth to investigate in a timely manner," Coven said.

The trial is expected to last three orfour days.

The student's family in the casereached a $175,000negotiated settlement with the town through mediation earlier this year.

Knight's alleged behavior, and the school district'shandling of the claims three years ago,caused an uproar with parents at the time. Several school administrators and school committeemembers left in the months after.

The town denied liability in the settlement, but officials said it was in the best interest of all involved to settle.

Knight also faces sexual assault charges related to a different accuser who saysshe was abused in2014 and 2015. She came forward after reading about charges brought againstKnight in the news.

Knight was indicted on those chargesfive counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 in 2019. The case is pending in Norfolk County Superior Court.

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Joe Difazio can be reached at jdifazio@patriotledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @jldifazio.

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Witnesses take the stand in trial of Jeffrey Knight, ex-Cohasset teacher accused of assault - The Patriot Ledger