Fort Ann Teacher charged after improper contact with students UPDATED

[MedicCook]

Police: Teacher charged after improper contact with students

FORT ANN -- A fifth-grade teacher at Fort Ann Central School who also coaches the varsity boys basketball team was arrested Wednesday night on a charge he allowed two young boys to masturbate in front of him on school grounds, State Police said.

Jared P. Bromley, 26, of Route 196, Hartford, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, for allegedly allowing the boys to fondle themselves in front of him repeatedly since December 2005, according to court records.

He was arraigned in Hudsons Falls Village Court and released on his own recognizance. Justice Michael Feeder issued orders of protection barring him from having contact with the boys, who are both 13 years old.

State Police said there was no evidence Bromley had sexual contact with the boys, but the investigation was continuing. Police also seized a computer from Bromley's home to be checked for child pornography, but Bromley said in a statement to State Police he did not have any.

The school district placed Bromley on administrative leave and stripped him of his coaching duties, said Fort Ann School Superintendent Maureen VanBuren. Bromley was in his second season as the boys varsity basketball coach.

VanBuren said the district's athletic director would either find a replacement or finish the season as coach.

Bromley was arrested after two students interrupted an incident involving at least one of the boys late Tuesday afternoon in the coach's office inside the boys locker room, officials said.

Bromley apparently did not know they had witnessed it.

A man who answered the door at Bromley's home Thursday morning said he was not available.

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2007/02/08/news/doc45cb5e10cdac5397054396.txt

[sws4420]

He was arrested for 'allowing' a 15 year old to wack off in front of him? Why the fuck did the kid have his pants down and why is it his responsibility to stop a kid from jacking it?

[MedicCook]

Actually it was 2 kids and it was multiple times.

[MedicCook]

DA wants to charge teacher with felony
Police to question 18 other teens as part of investigation

FORT ANN -- Washington County prosecutors are looking into whether they can file a felony charge that is typically used in child pornography cases against the teacher accused of encouraging boys to masturbate in his presence on school grounds.

District Attorney Kevin Kortright said his office is exploring whether felony counts of prompting an obscene sexual performance by a child could be filed against Jared P. Bromley.

The charge is typically used against those who make child pornography, and the statute generally requires there be an audience to the sexual activity.

But Kortright said his office may argue that the incidents that are alleged to have happened with two children present included an audience, in that one child witnessed the other’s alleged lewd act.

State Police charged Bromley with the misdemeanor of endangering the welfare of a child Wednesday, the day after two students spotted two other students fondling themselves in the coach’s office. Bromley was the school’s varsity boys basketball coach up until his arrest.

Because he apparently did not touch the boys, both of whom are 13, weightier sexual abuse charges could not be brought, police said.

Kortright, though, said the state needs to create a felony-level charge of endangering the welfare of a child for use when the defendant is a teacher or other in a position of authority.

"It’s just ridiculous that conduct is not a felony," he said. "It (the endangering charge) should be enhanced when the incident happens on school grounds or the defendant is a teacher or someone else in a position of authority."

Bromley, 26, of Hartford, was arrested Wednesday, hours after two teens reported to their parents they saw a boy masturbating in the coach’s office Tuesday afternoon. The incident is alleged to have happened just before the boys basketball team left for a game in Fort Edward.

The office door was locked and blinds were closed, but the boys were apparently able to see through the window through a gap in the blinds, officials said.

The boys who police believe witnessed the improper conduct then told relatives when they returned home from the game, and the relatives contacted State Police late Tuesday.

Police questioned the teen who was seen masturbating and another who was also in the office at the time, and court records show they told police Bromley had encouraged them to masturbate and measured their genitalia. One said the incidents happened 25 to 30 occasions in various rooms at the school, including Bromley’s classroom.

Meanwhile, State Police have identified 18 teens who had close contact with Bromley that they wanted to question, many of them athletes on teams he coached and students who worked with the teams. He also was a baseball coach in the district.

Investigators said 17 of the students had been questioned as of early Friday, and none disclosed any new allegations, Senior Investigator Thomas Aiken said.

Bromley, who teaches fifth grade at the school, was placed on paid administrative leave after his arrest.

He has been with the district for three years.

Superintendent Maureen VanBuren said the district has chosen Kevin Nassivera to coach the remainder of the boys basketball season.

Bromley is free on his own recognizance pending prosecution in Fort Ann Town Court.

No further court date has been set.

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2007/02/10/news/doc45cd580a35353281807783.txt

[MedicCook]

Sex abuse charge filed against former Fort Ann teacher

FORT ANN -- State Police have filed a sexual abuse charge against the former Fort Ann teacher and coach who was accused of allowing students to masturbate in front of him in school.

Jared P. Bromley was charged Thursday with second-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor, for allegedly touching the genitalia of one of the boys with a ruler. He told the boy he was measuring his genitalia, according to court records.

Bromley, 26, of Hartford, had earlier been charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, in the case.

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright said his office determined the sexual abuse charge was warranted because it was believed Bromley had sexual contact with the boy.

Being convicted of a sex crime will also result in his being required to register as a sex offender, which Kortright said his office believes is necessary.

He said his office looked into whether any felony charges were appropriate, but found none that would fit. He said he plans to push for the creation of a felony-level charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

"It's ridiculous that there isn't a felony charge of endangering the welfare of a child for a situation like this," Kortright said.

He said there have not been plea deal talks in the case, and it was unclear what sentence his office would seek if Bromley was convicted.

Bromley is being represented by lawyer Greg Lubow of Tannersville, near Catskill. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Bromley was a fifth-grade teacher and varsity boys basketball coach when he was arrested Feb. 7 in connection with allegations he had improper contact with two 13-year-old boys.

Police believe he encouraged the boys to masturbate in his coaching office and classroom. The arrest came after two other boys witnessed one of the teens masturbating in his office, officials said.

In addition to the accusations of masturbation, the boys told police that Bromley would "measure" their genitalia and used a "harness" made of masking tape to help with that effort.

State Police Senior Investigator Thomas Aiken said the additional charge was filed in Fort Ann Town Court on Thursday, but Bromley had not been arraigned on it. He is free on his own recognizance on the initial charges.

Bromley was suspended from his teaching and coaching positions after his arrest, but Fort Ann School Superintendent Maureen VanBuren said he has resigned, effective March 2.

VanBuren said the district has also arranged for a training session by Kortright and Aiken in response to the arrest.

"We're bringing the faculty and staff together for training as to the signs to look for and how to prevent this kind of thing from happening again," she said.

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2007/03/24/news/latest/doc46047898d1ec9668877665.txt