Babylon District Seeks To Fire Teachers After Sex Abuse Allegations

BABYLON, NY — Two Babylon teachers who were accused of sexual abuse by alumni and current students in 2021 will undergo state-mandated disciplinary proceedings that could lead to their termination.

At the Board of Education meeting Monday, interim superintendent Brian L. Conboy said that to terminate the teachers — who were tenured and placed on paid leave — they must undergo the state-mandated disciplinary process.

In November 2021, dozens of current students and alumni spoke at a board meeting and accused several teachers of sexual and emotional abuse. Parents refused to leave the meeting and said they would stay all night if necessary until a number of teachers were disciplined.

The district said that all teachers named publicly would be reassigned to their homes pending an investigation.

"We understand, we can't undo what's been done," Conboy said at the meeting. "And we're not going to minimize it. We're not going to ignore it. It's part of what we need to address going forward."

The teachers who will face a hearing are two out of three staff members currently on administrative reassignment, a district representative told Patch. It is unclear when the hearings will take place.

"As we have told the community, this board has made a commitment to take every step possible under the fullest extent of the law to protect our students and let them know that they can feel safe in our buildings," Board President Carol Dell'Erba said in a statement. "As part of that commitment, we are moving ahead with 3020a proceedings against these individuals. They will remain on leave outside of the classroom and away from students until this process has concluded."

The hearings come after the district held its own investigation into current staff. Attorney General Letitia James also launched an investigation into the district.

Christopher Powers, the district's attorney, said in a statement: "The district has fully cooperated with the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and the New York State Education Department concerning this matter."

The announcement of the proceedings comes almost 10 months after sports coach and special education teacher Timothy Harrison, 46, was arrested and charged with raping a 15-year-old student in 2013, police said. He was 38 at the time of the crime.

The district has since acted to ensure appropriate school relations, such as create a Citizen Advisory Group, install a safety policy, all while working with alumni advocate group BHS Alumni & Allies For Change.

However, Newsday recently reported the district employed special education teacher Barry Goldsholle long after he received more than 20 complaints from parents and students. He was one of several teachers named at the November 2021 meeting.

An alumnus, Barbara Meir, claimed that Goldsholle tried to kiss her when she was in the ninth grade and touched her inappropriately as her coach. No charges have been officially filed against Goldsholle.

Conboy addressed the article at the start of Monday's meeting.

" We need to charge forward ahead as well," he said. "We need to make sure we're doing everything that we can to make sure that students are getting the most vibrant and safe education that they can get."

Patch has reached out to BAAC for comment. Goldsholle could not immediately be reached for comment.