Lawsuit Claims Queens Principal Was Way Too Hot For Teacher

New York, NY
After a school year packed with stories of teachers accused of sexually abusing their students, here's one in which a school employee is accused of sexually harassing someone closer to his own age—just to mix things up. A pretty darn crazy lawsuit was recently filed by assistant principal Frank Farino against the Department of Education and his former principal at PS 43Q in Far Rockaway, John Michael Quattrocchi.

According to the court documents filed by Farino, the problems began when he became an assistant principal at "The School by the Sea," which he had worked at on-and-off from 1997 (with a six year break to teach in Long Island). Specifically when he began to interact with Quattrocchi more in the 2008-2009 academic year.

One day Farino got worried about his boss and checked on him. When Quattrocchi insisted they talk in his hotel room, the man's lawyer says "Quattrocchi, who is at least fifty pounds heavier than Farino, then mounted Farino while pinning his arms to his side ... Quattrocchi threatened Farino by saying: "Don't move. Do as I say and you will keep your job." Quattrocchi also told Farino, "I don't want to fire you, you're not in trouble." The pair did not have sex, but Quattrocchi did allegedly force Farino to stay in the room so that he could watch him sleep.

Similar incidents occurred on a subsequent business trip, the suit says, and when Farino continued to rebuff his boss, professional retaliation followed in the form of poor performance ratings and worse. At one point the principal allegedly put Farino on mandatory leave to "have time to reflect and miss [Quattrocchi.]'" Farino claims that Quattrocchi fabricated at least nine complaints that Farino committed misconduct, falsely accusing him of being the sexual aggressor and accusing him of abusing and molesting students.

Eventually, after complaints from Farino and others, in 2010, Quattrocchi was transferred out of the school pending the outcome of an investigation into his behavior. He retired in April, according to the DOE.

"I feel I was violated and bullied by this man," Farino says of the experience. "He crossed a line." The DOE had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. Farino is seeking punitive damages for sexual harassment, retaliation and equal protection violations.