The former boss of the government’s turnaround academy trust has been charged with historic child sex offences.
Gareth Mason left his role as chief executive of the Falcon Education Academies Trust in October 2020.
At the time, the trust refused to comment on the reason for his departure. Mason was on secondment from the Delta Academies Trust.
In a statement this week, West Yorkshire Police said Mason, 52, of Meynell Road in Leeds, had been charged with indecent assault and attempting to commit an act of gross indecency.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place in Wakefield between 2001 and 2002 and relate to a female aged under 16 at the time, police added.
Mason is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court later this month.
Delta, one of the largest trusts in the country, said Mason has not worked for them “for a number of years”, when approached for comment this week.
He had served as an executive principal and then director of education at the trust.
Falcon was set up by the government in 2019 to take over schools no one wants (SNOWs) in the north of England.
However after taking on just four schools since, it will now close – as revealed by Schools Week last month.
