Earlier this month, Riverhead High School senior Anastasia Stapon filed a lawsuit against her school district and the New York Board of Education for $10 million. Her lawsuit was filed in response to her high school principal sending her sexually charged pictures and text messages before sexually assaulting her in his office.
Stapon was suffering from depression and turned to her high school principal, Charles Regan, for support. An adult who she thought she could trust took advantage of her vulnerable mental state and isolated her from her friends, family, and school counselors. As a result of this isolation, Stapon became completely dependent on Regan for mental and emotional support.
Regan was known to meet with Stapon several times a day in his office with the door closed for extended periods of time. Additionally, Stapon showed her lawyers numerous pictures and text messages she received from her principal, which described the crass sexual relationship he wanted to have with her and expressed threats to other male students who showed interest in her. Finally, after months of this inappropriate virtual relationship, Regan sexually assaulted Stapon in his office.
According to Stapon’s lawyer, Principal Regan had a history of acting inappropriately with students in his former position in another school district before becoming assistant principal at Riverhead High School. Since the claim was filed against him, Regan has been administratively reassigned by the school district for “personnel investigation.” Regan or the school district have made no further comments. The accusations against Regan constitute harassment in the second degree, sexual abuse in the third degree, and unlawful imprisonment in the second degree.
At Goldstein & Bashner Law Firm, we take cases involving sexual abuse of a minor extremely seriously. Our attorneys have the skill and experience to handle the mental and emotional complexities of these situations and fight for the safety of children in their schools. If you believe that your child was a victim of a crime such as this, please reach out for a consultation with a skilled sexual assault attorney in Long Island.
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