Daniel Hakim, a former gym teacher at Salem’s Saltonstall School, faces 35 criminal counts alleging he sexually assaulted a dozen young students, most of them between six and nine years old, during his time with the Salem Public Schools. He has pleaded not guilty. As of early 2026, he remains free on $200,000 bail under GPS monitoring, and no trial date has been set.1Yahoo News. Former Teacher’s Request to Drop GPS Monitoring Denied2Eagle Tribune. Teacher Facing Additional Child Rape Charge
The Charges Against Hakim
Salem Police arrested Hakim on June 15, 2022, on 32 counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. The initial charges involved 10 girls who were in first through third grade at the time of the alleged conduct.3Boston 25 News. Ex-Salem Gym Teacher Facing Indecent Assault Charges He was arraigned in Salem Superior Court the following day and pleaded not guilty.4Salem News. Former Salem Teacher Arraigned on 32 Counts of Indecent Assault
The count rose over time. By early 2025, he faced 34 counts of child rape and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 involving a dozen alleged victims. On March 6, 2025, an Essex County grand jury added one count of aggravated rape of a child, which a spokesperson for the Essex County District Attorney’s office said stemmed from “new conduct related to an existing victim.”2Eagle Tribune. Teacher Facing Additional Child Rape Charge The sexual assault charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Where He Worked
Hakim was employed by the Salem Public Schools as a gym teacher at the Saltonstall School from 2015 to 2018. His earlier teaching work in Massachusetts included the Collaborative for Educational Services from 2009 to 2013, Shawsheen Elementary School in Wilmington as a health teacher from 2013 to 2014, and a “Teen Challenge” program at the Brooks School in North Andover in 2014 and 2015.2Eagle Tribune. Teacher Facing Additional Child Rape Charge After leaving Salem, he worked as a job recruiter.
Early Complaints and the 2018 Removal
According to court filings and reporting, colleagues at the Saltonstall School raised concerns about Hakim’s behavior almost immediately. Fellow teachers described him as “too hands-on,” said he picked students up and had them sit on his lap, and reported that he walked through the halls with his arm draped over young girls’ shoulders. One staff member compared his interactions with students to “a high school kid walking down the hall with his girlfriend.” Teachers also said he held physical education classes in the dark.5CNHI News. Fellow Teachers Complained About Hakim Being ‘Just Too Close’ With Students
In January 2018, a formal report went to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families after an adult overheard a student describe Hakim kissing her after she bumped her head, sliding his hand down the back of her pants, and pressing her against a wall. DCF investigated and deemed the allegations “unsupported.” Hakim’s defense attorneys later noted that none of the staff accounts of his conduct appeared in DCF files, and that no formal school discipline was documented at the time.5CNHI News. Fellow Teachers Complained About Hakim Being ‘Just Too Close’ With Students
Salem Public Schools nonetheless removed Hakim from the Saltonstall School in 2018 and suspended him after what the district described as “instances of improper conduct” coming to its attention. He never returned to work and was separated from employment at the end of that school year. The district reported the accusations to DCF, Salem Police, and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.6CBS News Boston. Salem Saltonstall School Gym Teacher Arrest7NBC News. Former Massachusetts Gym Teacher Accused of Assaulting at Least 10 Girls Hakim surrendered his teaching license in 2020, and the state revoked it that same year.8WCVB. Former Salem Massachusetts Gym Teacher Accused of Indecent Assault on 10 Students
How the Criminal Case Opened
The criminal investigation began in 2021 when a former student told her parents about conduct that had allegedly occurred in 2016, during Hakim’s tenure at the Saltonstall School. That disclosure led to his first arrest.7NBC News. Former Massachusetts Gym Teacher Accused of Assaulting at Least 10 Girls Salem school officials then held a public forum for parents, and additional students came forward to speak with police, broadening the case.9NBC Boston. Salem Teacher Student Assault Arrest
Bail Conditions and the GPS Monitoring Fight
Hakim was released on $200,000 bail and has remained free while the case moves through the courts. His conditions include GPS electronic monitoring; stay-away orders covering Salem, Swampscott, North Attleboro, and Walpole; no contact with victims or witnesses; no unsupervised contact with children under 18; and no employment without court approval.1Yahoo News. Former Teacher’s Request to Drop GPS Monitoring Denied
Defense attorney David Yannetti twice asked the court to remove the GPS anklet, arguing that Hakim had complied with every pretrial condition for more than three years, attended medical appointments, church, and meetings at his lawyer’s office without incident, made all court appearances, and had no contact with victims or witnesses. Salem Superior Court Judge Kathleen McCarthy-Neyman denied the request in February 2025 and again on December 2, 2025.1Yahoo News. Former Teacher’s Request to Drop GPS Monitoring Denied
Where the Case Stands
A trial had been set to begin on August 18, 2025, in Essex County Superior Court, but that date was canceled.10Yahoo News. Man’s Trial for Child Sexual Assault Postponed No new trial date has been scheduled. Hakim was due back in superior court on January 9, 2026, and the case remains pending.1Yahoo News. Former Teacher’s Request to Drop GPS Monitoring Denied