A New York appellate court ruled earlier this week that a Brooklyn high school teacher could not be fired for inviting a female student, to whom he referred to as his “little sex slave,” to perform a “striptease” for him.
Although the court ruled that former Brooklyn Technical High School social studies teacher Steven Ostrin couldn’t be terminated, it nonetheless upheld the six-month unpaid suspension he received for his conduct, according to the New York Post.
“The hearing officer made clear that the case turned entirely on the credibility of the witnesses and such determinations ‘are largely unreviewable,’” the five-judge Manhattan panel said in its unanimous decision.
All of which begs the question: If the witnesses’ testimony was credible to warrant an unpaid suspension, why wouldn’t it be credible to warrant a dismissal? It’s the same testimony.
The Post reported:
Ostrin, now 61, who wound up retiring on a disability pension following his suspension, told a Tech student in 2002 she “probably had a great figure under that sweatshirt” and that she was “hot.”
In 2005, he hugged and kissed another student – a 15-year-old sophomore — rubbed her arms and shoulders and called her his “little sex slave.”
Ostrin also told the girl not to wear “skimpy clothes” because it would only excite him and invited her to his home.
He was suspended without pay for six months after those allegations came to light but wound up beating a sexual misconduct rap.
“The decision is extremely disappointing,” a city law department spokeswoman said told reporters.
The city, which previously referred to Ostrin’s behavior as “predatory and unrepentant” is now weighing its options.
