BABYLON, N.Y. (1010 WINS) -- Multiple employees within a Long Island school district have been reassigned following allegations of sexual abuse.
Babylon Union Free School District Superintendent Linda Rozzi said in a statement Tuesday, “Based on verbal allegations made public at last night's Board of Education meeting, this morning the district reassigned four employees so we may conduct investigations surrounding these claims.”
Rozzi added that another employee was reassigned Monday after it received another tip about an allegation.
The meeting came in the wake of 2011 graduate Brittany Rohl telling News 12 Long Island that she was groomed and abused by her track coach at 16 years old, and claimed the school did nothing to stop it. Her revelations went public after a different teacher was investigated in the same district for "disturbing allegations," to which police did not ultimately find criminality for.
"You have no idea who you are f------ with," Rohl said at the meeting, according to Patch, which she attended after flying in from Florida. "My grandfather was a New York State Supreme Court Judge. It's in my blood to get justice when I know something is wrong."
Rohl sent a detailed timeline of her allegations to the school board, alleging when the grooming began and when the “toxic” encounters allegedly became sexual, right after her 18th birthday. The relationship continued into her time in college, she said. The teacher is no longer employed at the school.
Rohl said the alleged abuse drove her to consider suicide, and said the teacher she’s made accusations against now lives not far from her in Florida, according to Patch.
In the meeting, despite being warned to avoid it, Rohl named four teachers currently employed in the district and accused them of abuse. She also named guidance counselors and others who are no longer working in Babylon, the report said.
Another graduate said a tennis coach hit players on the buttocks with his racquet and put the other end up student’s skirts.
Several others stood up to speak about their experiences, detailing allegations about the aforementioned staff, or others. Many detailed how it could've taken just one person to intervene, but they said no one did.
Parents at the Monday meeting said they would remain in the auditorium all night until those accused of abuse were barred from the building, according to Patch.
Students then organized a walkout Tuesday after the Board of Ed meeting, where hundreds said they wouldn’t return in order to support the alleged victims.
The district told News 12 it hired outside counsel to investigate the claims, but former students them said that falls far short. Rohl reportedly called on administration to resign, saying they weren’t capable of handling the situation.