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Articles Tagged with school sexual abuse lawyer

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From our New York Sexual Abuse Lawyers’ Perspective

When a longtime New York City Department of Education employee is arrested at JFK Airport with alleged child pornography on his phone—including images of his own students—the public has every right to be alarmed. The recent federal criminal complaint against Alejandro Santos, a teacher’s assistant with over two decades of service, raises disturbing questions not only about the individual’s conduct but also about the systems in place to safeguard our most vulnerable children.

According to federal prosecutors, Santos was flagged by customs officials upon returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic. A search of his phone allegedly uncovered approximately 50 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, along with clothed images of his special education students—some of whom are nonverbal—interspersed within his camera roll. This disturbing detail, noted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Sise, signals a potential boundary breach that warrants swift and thorough investigation.

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the American dream school cafe sexual abuse accusationsThe recent indictment of a Bronx middle school teacher accused of repeatedly raping his 13-year-old student is another tragic reminder of the urgent need to protect children from predators in positions of power and trust. According to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, William Jones, a 32-year-old seventh-grade math teacher at American Dream Charter School, is facing multiple charges after allegedly sexually abusing a student over the course of more than a month—acts that reportedly took place inside the child’s own home while her family was away.

As school sexual abuse lawyers representing victims and their families across New York City, we are appalled but not surprised by the details of this case. Abuse by educators is a betrayal of the fundamental trust that students and parents place in schools. It’s not just about the criminal conduct—it’s about institutional failure.

What Went Wrong?

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John Adams High School where sexual abuse occuredAs New York City grapples with an alarming increase in sexual misconduct complaints within its public school system, the capacity to investigate these claims is severely hampered by budget constraints and staff shortages. The Special Commissioner of Investigation, tasked with overseeing complaints against Education Department employees and contractors, faces unprecedented challenges. This is where the expertise of specialized legal representation becomes indispensable.

A Surge in Complaints, a Decline in Investigations

The Special Commissioner of Investigation received over 10,260 complaints last year, a record high compared to the 9,630 complaints in 2019. Yet, despite this increase, the number of investigations has drastically decreased. In 2023, the agency conducted less than half the investigations it performed in 2015, despite nearly double the number of complaints. This sharp decline underscores the growing strain on the office’s ability to manage its caseload.

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John Adams High School where sexual abuse occuredAs attorneys dedicated to advocating for victims of school sexual abuse, we are deeply troubled by three recent events that have unfolded in schools across New York City, specifically in Queens and the Bronx. The following incidents demonstrate the urgent need for comprehensive measures to safeguard our children and hold perpetrators accountable within educational institutions:

  1. A 23-year-old Queens substitute teacher at Hillcrest High School on Highland Ave. near 162nd St. in Jamaica was arrested yesterday after he allegedly touched a 14-year-old student’s thigh and told her “If I were a student I would make you fall in love with me and have sex with me”. Jasskirat Saini was charged with harassment and child endangerment.
  2. Last Friday, another 23-year-old man working as a grammar school teacher’s aide at Bronx school P.S. 481 was also arrested after he gave a love letter to a 10-year-old student. Estevan Hamilton gave the letter to the student in the morning. The student showed it to her mom at lunchtime and the stepfather went to the school at the beginning of the afternoon to confront the school aid and punched him in the face. The police were called and the school aid was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment.