Brooklyn, New York - Teacher Daniel Santiago Charged with Sexually Abusing Student at Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy

East Flatbush Teacher Accused of Abusing Student

A teacher at the Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old female student. 29-year-old Daniel Santiago is charged with sex abuse and acting in a manner to injure a child under 17.

According to police, Santiago had been abusing the student beginning in February and up until the time of his arrest. He is accused of touching the girl inappropriately and sending her text messages and photos.

Prosecutors say that Santiago first abused the girl while on a school bus during a field trip, allegedly touching her chest. While returning from the field trip, he allegedly touched her private parts and had her touch his.

There was at least one other incident of Santiago and the victim touching each other at the school.

The police were first notified of the allegations when the student’s cousin discovered text messages from Santiago on the girl’s cell phone.

The Department of Education released a statement this Monday, announcing that the teacher has been reassigned away from the classroom pending the outcome of the investigation.

Santiago has been arraigned and an order of protection had been granted for the 11-year-old student. Bail was set at $75,000.

Legal Options for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Teachers and Other School Employees

Attorney Laurence Banville is a sexual abuse lawyer, helping victims and their families find justice through civil lawsuits. We’ve asked Laurence to contribute some thoughts regarding the legal options available to those who have been abused by teachers and other school employees:

Our schools must be aware of the fact that sexual predators often seek out positions of trust where they’ll regularly be in contact with children. Administrators and other officials must do all that they can to keep their students safe from these predators, such as running background checks and taking all allegations seriously. But in some cases of school employees sexually abusing students, the school was negligent in their failure to stop or prevent the abuse.

In cases of school district negligence, sexual abuse victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the school. If you or someone you love is a survivor of abuse by a school employee, it’s important to understand your legal options. You can learn more about whether you have a case for a lawsuit by discussing your case with an experienced sex abuse survivors lawyer.