New York School Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Compensation for Victims of Sex Abuse at New York Schools

Thousands of survivors are seeking justice through New York school sexual abuse lawsuits, holding school officials accountable for failing to protect students. 

Our compassionate attorneys will guide you through filing sexual abuse lawsuits against schools, ensuring your legal rights are protected and you have the opportunity to share your story. Contact us today for a free consultation and take the next step in your healing journey. 

Allegations of Childhood Sexual Abuse in New York Schools

Thousands of vulnerable children were groomed and molested at both public and private schools throughout New York state, resulting in dozens of lawsuits. These stories represent a systemic issue in the education system, including a lack of oversight and background checks. 

Amherst Central School District

In late January 2025, the New York State Police assisted a Virginia police department in arresting Geoffrey Testa for multiple felony child exploitation charges. At the time of his arrest, Testa was working at the Amherst Central School. 

He was caught by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, which is tasked with arresting individuals attempting to lure children for sex or disseminate child pornography. 

Atlantic Acting School

Samuel Gonzalez, a former teacher at this acting academy in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, was arrested in April 2025 after sharing over 1,500 images of child exploitation with an undercover officer. He used an online messaging app to share these images between January and April 2023, with some of the sexually abused children being only a few months old. 

Gonzalez was employed by the school until May 2021. It’s unknown whether any of the abuse occurred in connection with his employment. 

Bay Shore Union Free School District

In November 2024, the Bay Shore Union Free School District was ordered to pay $25 million to child victims of Thomas Bernagozzi, who taught third grade in the district between 1970 and 2000. Over 50 survivors alleged that Bernagozzi sexually abused them in those three decades. He retired from teaching in 2003. 

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School 

Msgr. George Zatarga of the Diocese of Brooklyn allegedly abused at least five male students during his 40-year career. One of the students attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, where Zatarga served as a chaplain between 1971 and 1979. 

According to the allegations, Zatarga—the New York clergy accused of sexual abuse—would use his position as a counselor to sexually abuse students, including forcing them to strip naked and molesting them. Several of the men reported that they were taken to his home in Saratoga Springs, unable to escape. Tragically, one family had three students who were all molested by Zatarga. 

Zatarga was placed on administrative leave in 2019 after he admitted to “inappropriate behavior.” He was removed from his duties and sent to a counseling program. 

Carthage Central School District

A former third-grade substitute teacher at West Carthage Elementary School was arrested in April 2025 for several counts of molestation. Lowell Williams allegedly abused both male and female students at least twice in one day, including rubbing a boy’s groin and a girl’s chest over their clothing. He was charged with felony counts of sexual abuse. 

Christian Brothers Academy – Albany, NY

In August 2005, Sandra “Beth” Geisel was criminally charged with two counts of rape and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student. 

The academy fired Geisel after police found her in the backseat of a parked car with a 17-year-old student. After the school sent a letter home explaining her dismissal, the 16-year-old victim came forward to allege that he had sex with Geisel twice in two weeks. 

One of the sexual encounters reportedly occurred in the press box at the school’s football field. According to the victim, he and Geisel “took turns” with another student, who was 17 at the time. 

Christian Brothers Academy – Syracuse, NY

This school has a long history of hiding sexual abuse and allowing predators access to young children. James McDevitt, who served as a priest at the academy in the late 1980s, admitted to abusing young boys in May 2010. He was charged in Delaware County with two misdemeanor counts of forcible touching.

A Pennsylvania grand jury report found that Father Barry M. Huddock, a former priest at the school, sexually abused a minor prior to his employment at the academy. The Syracuse clergy abuse allegations claim that he engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with a 17-year-old girl in 1996, including kissing, showing her child pornography, and sexually assaulting her in the rectory.

In 2022, Elizabeth Tucker-Schultz, a swimming and diving coach at the school, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse. The local sheriffs reported that it did not appear that her victim was associated with the school. 

Family Foundation School

Former teacher Paul Greer was convicted of sexual abuse in May 2025. According to the reports, Greer raped or sexually abused students at the school. Victims also alleged that he would deprive them of food or force them to eat regurgitated food, wrap them in rugs and abandon them, or force them to do hard physical labor. 

Herricks School District

Over a dozen survivors have filed civil lawsuits against the late Vincent Festa, who served as a school psychologist at Herricks High School in the 1980s. Festa’s molestation was well-known to school administrators and other students, with multiple victims and their parents filing complaints. Despite this, no investigation was ever done.

Before he died in 2011, Festa pled guilty to child sex abuse of multiple boys in his Ronkonkoma neighborhood, but he never served time in jail. 

Hilton Center School District

Former Northwood Elementary School principal Kirk Ashton was sentenced to 63 years in November 2022. According to reports, he sexually abused over 20 students during his time as principal. In October 2022, he was found guilty on 46 of 50 counts, which included first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sexual misconduct, and endangering the welfare of a child. 

Ashton only targeted boys, including forcing them to eat lunch with him while he touched them over their clothing. Unfortunately, Ashton may only have to serve 20 years, as mandated by New York State law. 

John Adams High School

Former assistant principal Michael Budhu was arrested in May 2024 for inappropriate conduct with a 15-year-old student. According to reports, he shared intimate details of his marital problems, touched the student without consent, made sexual comments, and showed her explicit material. He also threatened to fail her if she did not continue the relationship. 

Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District

In 2022, the school district was forced to settle 35 civil lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act, all involving former teacher Arthur Werner. The sexual abuse occurred at least 30 years ago, before Werner left the school district for other employment. 

La Salle Institute

Multiple staff members at La Salle Institute shielded Norman E. Rioux, a former Spanish teacher at the school, from consequences for sexual abuse. In September 2014, a victim came forward to claim that Rioux sexually abused him after he was sent to the teacher for tutoring help. 

The abuse allegedly took place at Rioux’s private residence on Saturday mornings, a time meant for studying that soon became a source of trauma. The boy asked multiple other faculty members for help, but they either ignored him or discouraged him from sharing his story because it would lead to issues for his father, a deacon.

La Salle Institute hired Rioux despite the fact that he was convicted by the U.S. District Court for a check-cashing scheme, which they claimed was not divulged to them. 

New York City Department of Education

Over 100 educators in the New York City Department of Education have been accused of inappropriate relationships with students. As of January 2025, a special commission found 121 separate perpetrators from 2018 to 2024. Some of these cases include:

• Daniel Matuk, a teacher at William Cullen Bryant High School, sent over 700 messages to a 15-year-old graphic design student between 2022 and 2023, some of them graphic in nature.
• Anthony Schiliro, a history teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, sent late-night text messages to three students, which allegedly included joking about having sex with one of them in front of the others.
• Jorge Luna, a social studies teacher at the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, allegedly made inappropriate comments on a student’s Instagram page despite being disciplined.
• Steven Perez, a social studies teacher at Fort Hamilton High School, allegedly groomed a 15-year-old student by giving her gifts and texting her excessively. He was arrested for inappropriate conduct in 2021 but was never prosecuted.
• Ellen Huynh, who taught at the Civic Leadership Academy, sent over 9,000 messages to a male student and met him in a park.
• Dulaina Almonte, a former French teacher at Harry S. Truman High School, sent over 28,000 texts to one 17-year-old female student and also sent over 1,000 messages to a male high school senior.
• Scott Biski, previously a music teacher at Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences High School, allegedly groomed one student by sending her 700 messages. He reportedly attempted to hide his misconduct by asking her to save him under a fake name.
• Natalie Black, who taught at Hillside Arts and Letters Academy, allegedly sent inappropriate videos to a 17-year-old boy.
• Joseph Canzoneri, formerly a teacher at Townsend Harris High School, allegedly brought one student to his apartment for sex after using marijuana.
• Danielle Medellin, a former math teacher at the Institute for Collaborative Education, allegedly exchanged over 5,500 inappropriate texts with a child in her 11th-grade math class. 

Oholei Torah

In December 2024, a former student filed a lawsuit against Oholei Torah for the school’s refusal to protect him from an older student. According to the lawsuit, the boy was abused almost daily between 2004 and 2005, when he was only 11 years old. The older child would allegedly take him to a storage room near the gym and abuse him during lunch. 

Packer Collegiate Institute

Former baseball coach Nicolas Morton was accused of sexual abuse by seven former players in October 2024. The survivors allege that Morton would groom boys as young as 11 by discussing sexual topics and demanding to see their genitals. He would also allegedly threaten them if they refused to comply with his demands. 

Port Jefferson Board of Education

The Port Jefferson Board of Education announced that it would be borrowing money and drawing upon the district’s capital reserves to pay a $16.5 million settlement to seven victims of childhood sexual abuse. The district is also considering legislative options that may ease the financial burden while still supporting survivors. 

Rochester City School District

In February 2025, a victim was awarded $12.5 million by a jury after suing the Rochester City School District and former East High School music teacher Edwin Fleming. According to the victim, Fleming raped her during the 1980-1981 school year, and other employees knew about the abuse but failed to stop it. 

Other plaintiffs also filed sexual abuse lawsuits in Rochester against the district for events between 1968 and 1981. Their accounts echo that of the first plaintiff, including allegations of graphic rape and molestation. 

Rockville Centre School District

A jury awarded $30 million to a plaintiff in October 2022 for alleged abuse by David Savage, a fifth-grade teacher. The abuse allegedly occurred between 1979 and 1983, and the survivor claimed that Savage was a “master manipulator” who attempted to pit him against his parents. 

Saint Ann’s School 

Winston Nguyen, a former teacher at Saint Ann’s School, was arrested for alleged abuse and catfishing in July 2024. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office stated that Nguyen pretended to be a student on Snapchat at least 11 times between October 2022 and May 2024, where he exchanged messages with five girls and one boy. 

After gaining their trust, he would urge them to send sexually explicit photos and videos. Nguyen targeted students at elite private schools in the area, including Berkeley Carroll School, Saint Ann’s School, Packer Collegiate, and Poly Prep Country Day School. 

Siena Catholic Academy

In March 2024, a jury awarded $5.4 million for alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by former principal Joseph Grasso. The abuse reportedly happened more than 20 years ago, when the victim was in middle school, and also involved the neighboring St. Thomas More Church. Siena Catholic Academy closed in 2020. 

St. Peter’s Boys High School

Four alleged victims of Staten Island sports coach Anthony Sagona have filed lawsuits against Sagona, the school, and other Catholic organizations in New York. 

The most recent survivor to come forward was allegedly abused between the ages of 13 and 17, when he was groomed into escalating acts of sexual abuse. According to the allegations, Sagona also encouraged the child to use cocaine and alcohol.

What Laws Govern School Sexual Abuse Claims in New York?

New York Penal Law Article 130 outlines what is considered sexual abuse, which includes molestation and rape. To respect survivors of all gender identities, many of the definitions have been updated to use the term “sexual contact.”

Teachers and other educators are considered mandated reporters, meaning they must report suspected abuse to the proper authorities (Social Services Law §413). 

Child Protective Services will then investigate the allegations, including interviewing the child regardless of whether their parents consent or not. CPS is also authorized to protect the child’s safety and well-being during the investigation, including taking the child into protective custody if necessary (18 NYCRR Part 432). 

Who Can Be Held Liable in Childhood Sexual Abuse Cases Involving New York Schools?

Our New York attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case to identify all potential defendants. These can include the following parties.

• Individual Perpetrator: The alleged perpetrator is typically the first party to a lawsuit. If they are deceased, the lawsuit can proceed against other parties.
• Other Staff Members: Educators, coaches, principals, school nurses, and other employees are typically mandated reporters who must report any suspected abuse to the authorities. If they were aware of what occurred but failed to report it, they can be liable.
• School District Administrators: The district and its employees can be held liable for negligent hiring, training, or supervision, especially if they received reports of abuse but did nothing. 

What Damages Can Sexual Abuse Survivors Recover?

Potential damages you may receive for a sexual abuse claim can include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of future income
• Psychological treatment and counseling
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of normal life

How Long Do Sexually Abused Victims Have to Take Legal Action in New York?

The statutes of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits in New York depend on the victim’s age at the time of the abuse. Those who were underage at the time of the assault have until age 55 to file a claim (§208(b)). Those who were adults have 20 years from the date of the assault (§213-c). 

How Injury Lawyer Team Can Help

Our firm provides trauma-informed legal advocacy, meant to empower survivors while protecting their privacy. We will skillfully navigate the many challenges of these cases, ensure your safety, and maximize your compensation. 

• Investigation: These cases can be challenging because many victims do not disclose the abuse until years afterward. As such, vital evidence may have been lost or destroyed. We will use our decades of experience to uncover key documents, such as medical records, employment records, school reports, and witness statements.
• Expert Testimony: Child psychologists and other experts can play an essential role in supporting your case while providing key context for juries. We will leverage our network of professionals to obtain impartial opinions about your experience.
• Negotiation: As Million Dollar Advocates, we have an impeccable track record of securing million-dollar settlements for survivors. We will use all available evidence to skillfully counter insurance company tactics, assess your damages, and push for the highest possible settlement.
• Trial Representation: While many cases settle out of court, claims with minimal evidence, contested liability, or significant damages may proceed to trial. Our team is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association and will carefully prepare you for trial, ensuring that you can present your testimony with confidence. 

Our goal is to help you receive the closure you deserve while holding negligent institutions accountable for their failure to support survivors. 

Book a Free Consultation

Thousands of male and female students were molested or abused at school districts across the state, and we help them secure compensation. Our firm handles sexual abuse lawsuits on a contingency fee basis, meaning no fees unless we win. Take the first step toward justice by contacting us for a free consultation. 

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.