Report: Rules May Tighten as 100 NYC Teachers Accused of ‘Inappropriate’ Relationships with Students
Officials in New York City may finally take action after 100 educators were accused of having “inappropriate” relationships with students, according to a report.
Records show that dozens of teachers have been accused of the interactions with students that sometimes have allegedly been sexual in nature, the New York Post reported on Saturday.
“Thirty-two more cases of educators and other school staffers engaged in improper communications with kids were substantiated by the city’s Special Commissioner of Investigation — boosting the total to at least 121 cases from 2018 to 2024, up from 89 tallied in May, according to reports released to The Post,” the outlet said.
Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman has pushed hard for the city’s Department of Education (DOE) to bar employees from contacting the young people via personal phone numbers, online, and through apps. She recommended over 50 times for leaders to take such action, but the DOE apparently answered with a rejection.
However, the department has told the Post it may begin a crackdown.
Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on the Post‘s article, one user writing, “Seriously, what is happening? How has this gotten so incredibly out of hand and allowed to go on?”
“This is absolutely disgusting. Every level of leadership should be held responsible,” another person commented.
The Post highlighted several cases involving educators who have since resigned or been fired. One of them read:
Daniel Matuk allegedly began communicating with one of his 15-year-old graphic design students at William Cullen Bryant HS in Queens in 2020, exchanging over 700 messages between 2022 and 2023, investigators found. Matuk texted about her “brown ass” and “little butt,” and called her “b—h” and “whore.” Matuk would force the junior to hug him in his empty classroom. “I blocked Daniel Matuk’s number after graduation, but have been living with trauma because of what had happened,” she told investigators. SCI said he was “grooming” her. He collected $112,191 in FY 2024.
The DOE policy regarding employees said they should not contact students on personal social media pages unless it was an emergency.
Employees are reportedly not banned from using personal cellphone numbers or emails, but officials told the Post the department’s rules surrounding social media are being reviewed and the policy is being updated.
It is important to note that perpetrators of child sexual abuse are usually someone the child or family knows, according to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN).
“They can have any relationship to the child including an older sibling or playmate, family member, a teacher, a coach or instructor, a caretaker, or the parent of another child,” the organization’s website read.
For tips on how parents and guardians can help keep children safe online, click here.
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