Allegations that a former Yonkers principal made a coworker take risqué photos of her wearing a thong on school grounds is being investigated by the state, the alleged victim’s lawyer reportedly said.
According to the New York Post, he said a state Department of Education (DOE) investigator called him regarding his client, school employee Gisselle Vasquez, who sued former principal Evelina Medina and the Robert C. Dodson School.
“Attorney Christopher Berlingieri said the investigator told him the probe was sparked by a Post story on Vasquez’s claims — spelled out in a sex harassment suit in Manhattan Federal Court, which also names the city of Yonkers — and that two assistant principals were also under scrutiny,” the article read.
Berlingieri noted, “My client will cooperate with the state DOE investigation.”
According to court documents, Vasquez said she was secretary for Medina at the school when her job took an unexpected turn, Patch.com reported.
“Vasquez is suing for damages in federal court alleging that she endured sexual harassment by a number of school officials and was retaliated against when she brought her concerns to Medina’s bosses,” the outlet said June 8.
The lawsuit also accused the former school administrator of a list of inappropriate workplace behaviors, and allegations in the court filings reportedly included several incidents, one in which Medina allegedly exposed her buttocks in a thong and asked Vasquez to take a photo.
“Medina forcefully grabbed Vasquez by the neck and throat to simulate rough sex. Medina repeatedly showed Vasquez explicit messages between Medina and her lover,” the Patch.com article continued.
However, Medina was not the only one harassing her, Vasquez reportedly claimed in court documents.
“One assistant principal would joke that Vasquez probably didn’t have sex a lot, and another Dodson assistant principal allegedly asked her, ‘Have you ever done drugs?’ and ‘How often do you have sex?’ and once — unsolicited — tried to kiss her, the worker claimed,” the Post article said.
According to the outlet, the state DOE did not confirm or deny the probe but stated, “We take all allegations of misconduct against educators extremely seriously.”