By The newspaper
03 Feb 2024, 01:58 AM EST
Thomas Bernagozzi, a retired Long Island (NY) teacher, was arrested after being accused of sexually abusing dozens of students over decades, and more alleged victims are expected to come forward.
Bernagozzi, now 76, was originally arrested in December and accused of sexually abusing children in his care at two elementary schools in Bay Shore, Suffolk County, between the 1970s and 2000s. Two male former students reported him under a state law that lifted the statute of limitations for child abuse.
In December, prosecutors requested that Bernagozzi be held on $1 million cash bail, but he was ultimately released with a body monitoring device. Now on Wednesday, January 31, he was arraigned on a new charge and was placed on bail of $600,000, which his attorney promised would be posted.
Also Wednesday, prosecutors alleged that the Bay Shore School District knew about and ignored Bernagozzi’s conduct.
To date, 45 civil lawsuits have been filed against Bernagozzi and the School District under the New York State Child Victims Act and 11 more former students have come forward since his arrest, bringing the total number of known victims to 56, he reported. News12.
Bernagozzi was a teacher well-liked and “revered” by colleagues and parents, prosecutors said. Outside of the classroom, he directed many extracurricular activities, including plays and sports. He also took the children on outings to beaches, swimming pools, Broadway shows and sporting events.
According to prosecutors, a search of Bernagozzi’s home had unearthed photographs of hundreds of students. The ages of the victims ranged between 4 and 8 years old. Ron Hubbard, a 1976 Bernagozzi alumnus and one of those who filed the lawsuit, told ABC News that the teacher fondled him in the classroom and at baseball games.
Current Superintendent of Schools Steven Maloney on Wednesday distanced himself from Bernagozzi’s alleged conduct. “This former employee has not been affiliated with the District since 2000,” he said in a statement. “Due to pending and ongoing litigation, the Bay Shore School District is unable to comment on this matter. “The District remains committed to ensuring the safety, health and well-being of all students.”
All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
In a similar case, in October a father and his son, both teachers in New Jersey, were arrested and charged on suspicion of viewing, downloading and possessing child pornography. For that same crime in April Damon Rallis, former vice president of the Democratic Committee of Southold Town (Long Island) and former leader of that city’s Boy Scout troop, pleaded guilty.
If you are a victim or suspect that someone is being abused, especially if it is a minor or elderly:
I looked for help
- Call 911, 988 or (800)-942-6906.
- Text “WELL” to 65173.
- Review information at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/ and www.988lineadevida.org