UPDATE: Accused Gorton science teacher suspended without pay

Posted 3/31/15

In an executive session held Monday night, the Warwick School Committee voted to suspend Gorton science teacher Mario Atoyan without pay. Atoyan, 49, is charged with first-degree and second-degree …

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UPDATE: Accused Gorton science teacher suspended without pay

Posted

In an executive session held Monday night, the Warwick School Committee voted to suspend Gorton science teacher Mario Atoyan without pay. Atoyan, 49, is charged with first-degree and second-degree sexual assault in an incident that allegedly took place on June 19, 2014 involving a 15-year-old female relative. Atoyan had been suspended with pay by Superintendent Richard D'Agostino when the Attorney General released a secret, sealed indictment from the Washington County Grand Jury last week. At the time, D'Agostino said a decision to suspend without pay was the committee's prerogative. Jennifer Ahearn, chair of the Warwick School Committee, said Tuesday the vote to suspend pay was in light of the criminal investigation being conducted by North Kingstown Police. (Reported by John Howell, Warwick Beacon)

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  • georgecarver

    Its a start.

    Lets hope it goes all the way and sets an example about the seriousness and disdain surrounding sexual assault and poor leadership.

    Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Report this

  • genereux

    So let me get this straight. A lawyer has been hired in a closed door session to investigate prior claims of the teacher's inappropriate behavior. The superintendent, who is denying the email indicating the said behavior in 2013, was present in the meeting? The email has been published by various news outlets yet the superintendent did not respond to the email and denied any knowledge about this teacher's inappropriate behavior to both channel 10 and 12. So a year and a half go by with no response to such a serious email? How can this be justified? How can he run for superintendent? If a teacher fails to report abuse they loose their teaching credential.

    "In those days Israel had no King; everyone did as they saw fit"

    Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Report this

  • genereux

    Just to clarify..the lawyer will be appointed Thursday.

    Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Report this

  • rhody4

    You need to look into this School administration doing favors for individual school committee members…in order to keep their jobs…total conflict of interest!

    We need for our schools to be the best in the state. With this current superintendent this will not be possible. Why is one of the other candidates for superintendent being considered when he was forced out of two other school systems?

    Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Report this

  • richmacphail

    So the entire School Administration refuses to comment on the arm writing incident that "allegedly" occurred in 2013, although the entire situation was and has been the worst kept secret in the city? Now rumors of backdoor dealings? Rumors and innuendo will always be part of the political landscape, but when "No comment" gets repeatedly said after a Sgt Schultz like press release, one has to wonder why.

    Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Report this

  • danfire

    Why is this school committee spending more money on an outside lawyer? They keep spending instead of doing the job they were elected to do.Jean Neadeau and Jen Ahearn are always looking to cut money from programs for students to save tax dollars but turn around and hire 2 outside lawyers and a $ 400,000 consulting firm to tell them we need all day k and 6 to 8 middle school. It does not take a rocket scientist to know what needs to be done in this scandle.Request the mans personal fine with all letters and info. Ask all party involved to provide a copy of emails and give written statements. Request all parties appear before the school committee for Questions and answers.This may require the school committee to work a little.Then fire or ask the party's whom were at fault to resign . Some of these people may even be able to collect a nice tax payer funded pension. I have the feeling the School committee is trying to protect some high ranking official whom is owed a favor by them.I just hope theres not enough favors to keep them in their job or school committee members may lose theirs during the next election. Ahearn,Merdious,Backus,Furtado and Neadeau"DO YOUR JOB" Bill Belichick can make a winner of you losers too.

    Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Report this