BROCKTON — Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office filed an application in Brockton District Court on Thursday, July 2, 2026, seeking a clerk magistrate’s hearing on a criminal complaint charging Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues with assault and battery.
A clerk magistrate’s hearing, also known as a show cause hearing, is a private hearing during which a clerk magistrate decides if sufficient evidence exists to issue a criminal complaint against a given defendant. On July 7, Boston.com reported that the clerk magistrate’s hearing for the potential assault charge against Mayor Rodriguez has yet to be scheduled.
The filing of the application for the clerk magistrate’s hearing comes weeks after a 17-year-old Brockton High School student accused Rodrigues of inappropriately touching her during the city’s Huntington Day Parade on May 22. The student has not been publicly identified because of her age.
The allegations became public on June 6, when the student’s mother interrupted Brockton High School’s graduation ceremony and ran toward the stage stating, “You know what you did to my daughter…You are not supposed to be here.”
Video of the mother’s accusations can be viewed on Brockton Community Access’ YouTube channel here.
On June 8, Rodriguez was served with a harassment prevention order, requiring him to stay 100 yards away from the student.
During a June 22 hearing in Hingham District Court on whether to extend the harassment prevention order, the student testified that Rodrigues approached her while she was serving as a section leader for the school’s marching band at the parade, placed his left hand around her waist, and continued to pull her closer, according to Boston.com.
“His face was very close to mine,” she said. Later adding, “He pulled me closer to him. I remember trying to pull away.”
The judge declined to extend the harassment prevention order at the June hearing, finding the allegations did not meet the legal standard required to continue the order, but described the alleged conduct as “unwelcome, offensive, and certainly unprofessional.”
Rodrigues also testified at the June 22 hearing, where he acknowledged placing his hands on the student’s waist during the parade. He said he “felt awful” after he learned the student was uncomfortable.
“As the father of three daughters, also being someone who always protected children, I don’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable for something I did,” Rodriguez said, according to Boston.com.