Teen jailed for school violence threats

Athens Borough, NY
An 18-year old student at Athens Area High School was arrested after making threats to commit acts of violence at the school.

He was charged with making "terroristic threats", a felony.

Shen High student charged with assault following school fight

Clifton Park, NY
A 16-year old student at Shenendehowa High School was arrested and charged with assault for a fight in the school hallways.

His 16-year old victim was taken by ambulance to the the hospital where he was treated for facial injuries.

Teacher attacked in school

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Boy makes 'Hit List'

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Strip show interrupts NY school assembly

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7-year-old brings gun to school

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Shooting threat at a school

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Student attacked near New Rochelle H.S.

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Putnam Sheriff says Rumors of School Violence Friday are False

Putnam County, NY
Putnam County high schools were the targets of four different rumors this past week, spawned by the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack.

All four rumors were investigated, and determined to be false rumors.

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Parents Concerned Rockaway School that Flooded in Sandy May not be Safe

Belle Harbor, Queens
PS/MS 114, Belle Harbor School, was flooded with five feet of water and sewage during Hurricane Sandy.  Parents re concerned that proper mold mitigation was not followed, and are holding their children out of school.  Thus far only 250 out of 800 students have returned.

The concerns center around the auditorium.

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Two School Safety Officers Injured at Murry Bergtraum H.S., Officials Say

New York City, NY
Two school safety officers suffered minor injuries during an incident at Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers.  The nature of the injuries, or the incident, were not known.

The high school is very crowded, and has suffered a rash of incidents recently, including attempted arson last month, and a huge student brawl last March.

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High School Football Rivalries Lead to Violence, Injured Teens

White Plains, NY
Rivalry-charged high school football games resulted in violence this weekend in Ossining and Rye, resulting in at least two arrests and three athletes being taken to an emergency room.

Officials in both communities stressed that the games themselves were competitive and sportsmanlike, but that what happened after the games soured the spirit of traditional rivalries between Sleepy Hollow and Ossining and between Harrison and Rye.

In response to the violence in Ossining, Mayor William Hanauer told LoHud.com/The Journal News today that he and village trustees will talk Tuesday about how to prevent such attacks.

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Two School Safety Officers Injured in Fight at Gramercy High School

Gramercy, NY
A fight between two students at an East 15th Street high school left a pair of school safety officers injured Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The brawl erupted shortly before 12:30 p.m., when the two female students began fighting inside the High School for Health Professions and Human Services at 345 E. 15th St., police and education officials said.

Cops took two people into custody following the dustup, NYPD officials said.

The school safety officers suffered a sprained ankle and possible shoulder injuries and chest pains, a Department of Education spokeswoman said.

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Back to School - School Bus Safety Tips

New York, NY
My school district begins classes on August 1, with other districts in the area beginning within the next few weeks.  That means that those big, yellow school buses will be back on the road.

There is an excellent article at the link above that offers safety tips for parents and school personnel to teach our children, after offering up some startling statistics.  "According to a Department of Transportation study revised in March of 2011 (DOT HS 396), about 19 children die each year in school bus accidents -- either as riders or nearby pedestrians."  School buses are among the sturdiest, safest vehicles on the road, yet 19 children die each year.  So what can be done?

The article goes on to list some important safety tips:

- Orderly, Polite Behavior Required at All Times. Children must be reminded to never push or shove others while boarding, riding or exiting a vehicle. They should always wait for the driver's permission to either enter or leave a bus. Bullying behavior, verbally or physically, is strictly forbidden on buses -- just as it is in school;

- Regular Use of Handrails. Holding on to these while getting on or off a bus can prevent many falls;

- Exercise Great Care When Moving About in School Bus Danger Zones. The areas right behind a bus and on both sides of it (near the front) are especially dangerous. Tell your children about these areas and remind them that drivers often fail to see kids moving around in these areas;

- Use Crosswalks and Never Jaywalk. Drivers often panic when they see a large number of kids. Be sure to remind your children that it can be very risky to try and cross any street outside of the crosswalk area or at an intersection;

- Kids Should Carry Safely Packed Backpacks. Make sure your kids pack their backpacks safely and leave everything inside while riding the bus. It's just too easy to drop things or injure others by handling backpack items while the bus is moving;

- Make Sure All Bus Stops are in Safe Locations. If you question the safety of the location of a particular bus stop, take your concerns immediately to the school district and try to get the stop moved to a safer area. School bus accidents often occur when kids jump out of the vehicles in poorly marked locations;

- Take Extra Care When Crossing in Front of a School Bus. Kids should always wait until a bus driver clearly indicates that it's safe for them to cross in front of the bus before they start to do so. Some buses have automatic placards that provide this signal;

- Never Disembark to Pick Up an Item Dropped Out a Window. Tell your children that if they accidentally drop something out a window, they should tell the bus driver so they might be given a safe opportunity to retrieve the item. No one should ever throw any object out a window while playing on a bus;

- Cell Phones Should Not Be Used While Riding Unless an Accident Occurs. While it's okay if your kids call you after an accident, tell them to try and wait for instructions from the driver (or any other adult on board) before calling or trying to exit the vehicle;

- Check on the Driver's Personal Safety Record and Experience. Ask your school district if it can provide you with a copy of the most recent background check done on your child's school bus driver. Such checks should be routinely made by the district at least once or twice a year.

I am the Director of Transportation for my district.  My drivers will be teaching these points, and others, to the children.  It would be a great idea for parents to teach this at home as well.  I've had to visit children in the hospital after a school bus accident.  Fortunately, their injuries were not severe.  Nonetheless, it was a horrible feeling to look at a child who was under your care lying there hurt, even if it wasn't your fault.  It would even be even worse if it were my child.

Be on the lookout for those big yellow buses, and the little ones they carry.

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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.

NYC School Teacher Simonette Mapes-Crupi Found Brutally Stabbed To Death

New York, NY
A New York City school teacher was found stabbed to death inside her Staten Island apartment Thursday afternoon.

Simonette Mapes-Crupi, 29, was found face down in a pool of blood by her husband, Jonathan Crupi, in their New Springville apartment around 1:50 p.m.  Authorities said she was stabbed multiple times.

Police tape blocked off off a portion of the condominium complex on Forest Hills Road, hours after police said they got a 911 call from the victim’s husband.

Police initially looked into a home invasion theory, but sources told CBS 2 there was no evidence to support it, other than a home in disarray, CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey reported.

Jonathan Crupi has been questioned by police.  Police have not made any arrests yet nor have they released a possible motive.

Neighbor Rachel Havia said she came home and saw police everywhere. The victim’s relatives were also extremely distraught.

Interestingly, just a week ago, the teacher posted a near-death experience on her Facebook page, writing: “Crupi and I survived a shootout today…Thank God we are ok…To all the wanna be gangstas of Staten Island (who say they are from Brooklyn but really aren’t), be grateful you have what you have and stop trying to live a lifestyle you will never understand.”

Crimes against Children II 7-2-12

Rochester, NY
U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Don MacIntyre, 33, of Rochester, New York, who was convicted of possession child pornography, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and 15 years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that during the execution of a search warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cyber Task Force at a residence MacIntyre shared with co-defendant Robert Vogler, law enforcement officers found devices containing child pornography. Macintyre admitted to downloading images and videos of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

Robert Vogler was also convicted of possession of child pornography and will be sentenced on August 20, 2012 by Judge Larimer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

School Bus Driver Beaten into Coma Dies

Bronx, NY
A 65-year-old school bus driver beaten into a coma has died, his family confirms.
Juan Del Valle had been at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx since a minor traffic accident turned into a horrific beating.

Police say Del Valle was driving a school bus when he clipped a car's side mirror. Police say the car's owner, ex-con Joey Scott, beat the 65-year-old grandfather into a coma.

Surveillance video caught the vicious attack two weeks ago. Del Valle was inching his school bus down a narrow street in the Tremont section of the Bronx when he hit the mirror.

Moments later, Scott confronted DelValle and punched him twice in the face.

Del Valle collapsed, and his head hits the pavement. He never came out of the coma. His family made the decision to remove him from life support this week.

Del Valle worked for 8 years transporting the children of New York City safely to and from school.

Queens Teacher Banned From City Schools For Over-The-Top Sex Ed Class

New York, NY
A Queens teacher has been banned from all city schools after he allegedly made inappropriate comments and gestures during a sexual education class.

Former students told CBS 2′s Jessica Schneider that Dyrel Bartee, a teacher at Grover Cleveland High School was getting too explicit in his descriptions.

He has been accused of spreading his legs to demonstrate childbirth and grabbing his crotch to emphasize a point about sexually transmitted diseases.

Bartee was put on administrative leave in November when students complained that his lessons were becoming too racy.

Bartee began as a substitute Biology and Science teacher in 1999, and began teaching at Grover Cleveland in 2005. In April he was barred from working in all city schools.

The ban comes just days after Rafael Sosa was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a female student. Since January ten New York City teachers have been arrested on sexual misconduct charges.

Bronx School Slash: 'Attacker' is EIGHT Years Old

Bronx, NY
An 8-year-old Bronx boy today slashed a classmate across the neck with a double-edged razor — at a school that’s already canceled graduation once because of out-of-control behavior, cops and parents said.

Police sources said the pint-sized perp told cops he brings the blade to school with him every day because some of the kids don’t like him, ABC-TV reported.

The boy snapped on the playground during lunch after feuding with his 9-year-old victim at the violence-plagued school — PS 132 in the Morrisania section — on and off for the past few days, a law-enforcement source told The Post.

The victim had yelled, “B----!” at the boy just before he was cut, sources told ABC.

The stunned 9-year-old was sliced on the back of his neck — a “deep laceration’’ just inches from an artery — shortly before noon, sources said.

He was rushed to Bronx Lebanon Hospital fewer than three blocks away, where he was received stitches and was listed in serious but stable condition.