An assistant at Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences High School in Queens was arrested and charged with Sex Abuse in the third degree.
Joseph Lombardo was arrested after an investigation conducted by Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman's office heard of the misconduct.
Coleman, in an article published in the New York Daily News, said, "There is no place in the New York City school system for the behavior demonstrated by Mr. Lombardo and those who prey on our children."
The investigation learned that Lombardo, while alone with a 17-year-old student allegedly grabbed her hand and rubbed it down his chest and over his crotch.
NYC Education Department spokesperson Doug Cohen said Lombardo started working in city schools in 2017 and had a clean history before this alleged incident took place.
Cohen added, "There's absolutely no place for this alleged behavior in our schools, and Mr. Lombardo was immediately suspended without pay once we were made aware of the allegations."
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