Ex-Student On LI Teacher's Rape Charge: 'They Didn't Believe Us'

BABYLON, NY — Police have identified the Babylon School District teacher charged with raping a high school student in 2013 as Timothy Harrison, 46, of Oak Beach.

According to Suffolk County Police, Harrison was arrested Thursday at 7:40 a.m. during a traffic stop on the Robert Moses Causeway at Route 27A in West Islip.

Babylon school administrators contacted police in October 2021 regarding allegations of misconduct involving district staff.

During an investigation by special victims section detectives, a woman came forward in November and reported she had a sexual relationship with a teacher, Harrison, during the fall of 2013 when she was 15 and he was 38, police said.

Harrison was charged with two counts of third-degree rape and one count of third-degree criminal sexual act, police said.

Harrison will be held overnight at the First Precinct and arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday, police said.

The arrest comes months after Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the district. Since October, numerous alumni have accused teachers of sexual and emotional abuse, some claims dating back to the 1980s.

In a statement to Patch, Superintendent Linda Rozzi wrote:

"The Babylon School District has been made aware that a high school teacher was arrested earlier today for an alleged criminal act involving sexual misconduct with a minor in 2013. Upon first learning of this alleged inappropriate behavior in November 2021, the district acted immediately by removing the individual from his classroom, reassigning him to his residence, removing all privileges, and immediately notifying law enforcement authorities. The district also commenced its own internal investigation with regard to the allegations against this individual."

Rozzi went onto write:

"These allegations are extremely disturbing, and our thoughts are with the victim. The district and Board of Education have zero tolerance towards such heinous acts and take all claims of this nature very seriously. We will continue to make the safety and well-being of our students and staff our top priority."

Barbara Maier, a Babylon alumni who says she was sexually harassed by a tennis coach and fellow student, told Patch that she felt a whirlwind of emotions by watching the press conference.

She felt anxious to learn the identity of the teacher, she said, and later justified and relieved for the victim.

"It's a sense of validity because some people just didn't believe us and they thought that we were making it up or we were seeking attention," she said. "And that was not the case at all."

However, Maier was angry.

The district said it took action as soon as it learned of Harrison's allegations. But Maier claimed that the district knew of Harrion's actions in 2013, but did nothing until a November meeting, where participants refused to leave the school auditorium.

She was also displeased with police's rhetoric on the investigation, she told Patch.

"At one point, they said, 'This is the only criminal that we've stumbled across,'" Maier said. "Which isn't true, because every single one of us was a victim of a crime," she said, referring to the large amount of alumni who have accused multiple teacher of abuse.

Maier encouraged anyone who was affected by district employees, whether they were abused sexually, emotionally, or bullied, to reach out to the Attorney General.

"We're well on our way to making change and making Babylon safer for future and current students," she said.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Department's special victims section detectives at 631-852-8791.

This is a developing story. Be sure to follow Patch for more updates.