NYC High School Under Investigation

City officials have discovered troubling behavior at an NYC high school, revealing a concerning situation involving one aide. The investigation found that this aide had sexual relations with a student at least three times during lunch breaks. Additionally, there is an inquiry into a second staff member connected to the first aide.

A recent report from the NYC Schools Research Bureau indicates that Ocean Valentine first made contact with a 17-year-old student at Urban Assembly Ariary College High School in May 2022. The two began communicating through Instagram, where they exchanged messages that led to sharing phone numbers and texting.

According to findings, the student mentioned to investigators that he became involved with Valentine shortly after giving him his number in late May or early June 2022. He described an encounter that took place in the aide’s apartment after escaping from the small school located near NYPD headquarters.

The report details that the duo left for lunch, while classes were still in session, to have sexual relations at the student’s apartment. This marked the first of three encounters they had during lunchtime. One subsequent meeting reportedly occurred at a pool hall to celebrate the student’s 18th birthday.

Concerns arose when a female classmate stumbled upon a text conversation on the boy’s phone and noticed a hotel receipt photo among the messages. She seemed uncertain about the specifics of “sex with staff members” but eventually identified Valentine to school authorities.

In early 2023, investigators examined text messages on student phones, revealing a message where the teen asked Valentine, “What’s going on?” Ten days later, the teen reported that Valentine attempted to reach out to him, providing evidence of missed calls from the aide.

After obtaining phone records, investigators found multiple interactions between Valentine and the student, including several calls during late hours and weekends. Valentine’s employment has since been suspended without pay, with a reported salary of $34,415 in 2023, though he took home around $15,250 before termination.

In another unrelated situation at the same school, a male aide is also under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct involving a female student, who has claimed he stole $5,000 from her.

Recommendations have been made to update the Department of Education’s social media policy, limiting staff from contacting students through personal accounts or mobile phones. Despite similar suggestions made multiple times over the years, the policy has yet to be revised.

Valentine could not be reached for comments, and the Department of Education did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.