A third staff member at a Manhattan high school is under investigation, joining at least two others who faced claims of inappropriate relations with students. This individual has been placed on unpaid leave while officials review troubling reports, according to information obtained by The Post.
The 36-year-old staffer, associated with the Department of Education, has been at the Urban Assembly Early College High School of Emergency Medicine since 2017 and was previously accused of sexual misconduct involving a female student last year, as disclosed by a source familiar with the situation.
These claims remain unverified in public records, and no criminal charges have been filed against the aide.
The student involved is reportedly an immigrant from Spain and has limited proficiency in English. Her age remains unconfirmed.
The allegations surfaced after the student’s mother found concerning text messages exchanged with the aide, prompting her to notify school authorities.
This aide marks the third staff member since 2023 to be reviewed by the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI) for city schools. The SCI has labeled the situation as “an active case” but did not disclose further specifics.
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Ocean Valentine, another former aide at this school, engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old male student in May 2022, as confirmed by the SCI’s findings.
Valentine, then 22, was found to have engaged in sexual acts with the student multiple times during school lunch periods. She was dismissed by the DOE in 2023, though no criminal charges have been filed against her.
Another aide from the school is presently under investigation for purportedly having sexual relations with a female student and is additionally accused of stealing $5,000 that the student had received, according to sources.
Security publicly removed the aide from the premises after the female student reported the incident earlier this year. The Department of Education (DOE) has acknowledged the suspension of the aide without pay while inquiries continue.
As of now, criminal charges against the aide have not been brought forth.
The DOE has not commented on requests for further information.
The occurrence of even one incident of this nature is frightening, as expressed by local parents.
“It raises concerns about how adequately our schools screen employees,” commented a mother from a different Manhattan high school. “Such events are unacceptable. We cannot allow individuals in positions of responsibility over our children to go through insufficient vetting.”
