A veteran Hampton Bays High School teacher was arrested on Monday and accused of having what police described as an “inappropriate texting relationship” with a student.
Southampton Town Police said that a person, whom they did not identify, reported to them that the teacher, Kevin O’Toole, 40, was having an inappropriate but nonphysical relationship with an unnamed student at the school.
Detectives spoke to O’Toole, who lives in Ronkonkoma, and after reviewing his text messages with the student placed him under arrest.
The teacher, who has worked at the school for 14 years and is the coach of the school’s varsity girls track and field team, is charged with one misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child.
He was arraigned in Southampton Town Justice Court on Tuesday.
Hampton Bays Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen said the district cannot discuss the matter yet and is examining the matter. The district has not taken any disciplinary action against O’Toole, but Clemensen said the School Board and district administrators are expected to hold a special meeting on the matter in the near future.
“We take all matters of safety and well-being extremely seriously,” Clemensen said on Tuesday. “Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and the need to respect the privacy of those involved, there are limited details that we can share at this time. However, we can assure our families that we are cooperating with the Town of Southampton Police Department and will ensure this individual does not have contact with students while the investigation is underway.”
Police have not specified the nature of the text messages they deemed inappropriate, when they were exchanged, or how many times the teacher and student had interacted.
Police are asking anyone else with further information regarding the incident, or any other inappropriate relationships, to call detectives at 631-702-2230.
Staff Writer on Jul 15, 2024