Brooklyn Teacher's Colleagues Said Nothing as Alleged ‘Touching' Took Place

Five Brooklyn elementary school teachers are facing disciplinary action after investigators accused one of inappropriately touching female students in front of four colleagues who did not report him.

The special commissioner of investigation for the city schools, Richard Condon, said Gregory Michaelides, 41, repeatedly touched girls in his P.S. 345 classes on their arms, hair, backs, and chests. Although several teachers witnessed the touching, Mr. Michaelides was not reported until two female students in his class stopped a teacher in the hall and asked for help, according to investigators.

The students ranged in age between 6 and 12. One student said the touching made her feel "icky," according to the investigators' report.

A lawyer for the Department of Education, Michael Best, said it would seek to fire Mr. Michaelides.

The East New York teachers who witnessed Mr. Michaelides touching the girls told investigators that they did not report his actions because they saw nothing wrong with what he was doing. One female teacher described him as "touchy feely," according to the report, and said she had once suggested to him that he stop, but she also said the touching appeared "harmless."

Mr. Best said the education department would seek disciplinary action against the teachers. The president of the teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, expressed concern that the department was considering disciplining the other teachers, however.

"We're very concerned that he is recommending charges against four teachers for not reporting behavior that they did not consider inappropriate," she said. "If they did not witness it or consider it out of line, what were they supposed to report?"

Mr. Michaelides, a 12-year veteran teacher, also was accused of giving gifts to some of the students that he allegedly touched, including a Barbie doll and a teddy bear.

According to the report, Mr. Michaelides has refused to speak to investigators. He could not be reached for comment for this article.