Brockton Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues faces an assault and battery charge related to an alleged incident involving a 17-year-old girl during a city parade in May, according to court records. The charge was filed following a clerk magistrate’s hearing held in August.

At the August 7 hearing in Wrentham District Court, Rodrigues testified that he did not recall any interaction with the teenager, stating, “I don’t recall, for the life of me. I didn’t even know the person.” Prosecutors allege that during the Huntington Parade on May 22, Rodrigues put his arm around the girl, who was a trombone player marching with the Brockton High School band.

The case gained public attention on June 6 at the Brockton High School graduation ceremony, when the girl’s mother confronted Rodrigues onstage and accused him of wrongdoing. Video footage posted by the city’s public access channel captured the mother shouting, “You have to [expletive] get out of here. You know what you did to my daughter.”

State Police Captain John Santos testified at the hearing that the accusation is supported by video, photographs, and interviews with the girl and several witnesses. Santos characterized the contact as non-consensual and stated that Rodrigues had no reason to engage physically with any members of the marching band, as his role was to walk with parade officials, including politicians.

Rodrigues, Brockton’s first person of color to be elected mayor, is a former child protection specialist with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. He has denied any previous misconduct allegations.

The case is being handled by the Norfolk District Attorney’s office, overseen by Michael W. Morrissey, to avoid potential conflicts of interest with the Plymouth District Attorney’s office, where Timothy J. Cruz serves.

Rodrigues is scheduled for arraignment on September 28 at Hingham District Court. His attorney, Theodore A. Barone, said the mayor will mount a strong defense and that Rodrigues maintains his innocence. Barone also suggested that the allegation is financially motivated, citing a letter demanding $150,000 that Rodrigues’s representatives have received from the family of the alleged victim. Efforts to reach the family’s lawyer, Alex J. Grant, for comment were unsuccessful.

Barone indicated that Rodrigues does not intend to resign and remains focused on his responsibilities as mayor, describing his efforts as consistently aimed at governing the city constructively.