Police arrested a teacher Tuesday after she allegedly raped a 14-year-old student at a New York school.
Melissa Rockensies was charged with rape, criminal sex acts and acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 years old, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told local news outlet QNS.
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The school is in Corona, Queens, so that narrows it down. https://t.co/o2pSQTDjKE— Carmen Glover (@OnPointPress_) August 23, 2023
The 33-year-old teacher was booked at the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills. NYPD and the city’s Department of Education (DOE) have not named the school as of now. (RELATED: Police Arrest Pennsylvania Teacher For Posing As 17-Year-Old To Get Sexual Videos From Teens)
Rockensies no longer works at the school where the alleged incident took place. Before her arrest, she made $85,000 per year teaching, according to the Daily News. She will likely be terminated if found guilty.
“This alleged behavior is extremely concerning and wholly unacceptable. The employee has been reassigned away from the school and students pending the outcome of the arrest and if convicted, we will pursue termination,” New York DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said. “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students.”
Rockensies was released without bail after her arraignment, the Daily News reported.
This is not the first time a New York teacher has been arrested for sexually assaulting an underage student in recent years. A female math teacher was arrested in 2021 after she allegedly raped a 15-year-old male student at a Long Island high school. The 28-year-old educator was in a sexual relationship with the victim for two months.
Other states prosecuted similar sex crimes. In Florida, a gym teacher was arrested Feb. 10 after his alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student was discovered. In California, a first-grade teacher who allegedly sexually assaulted six female students was arrested in July.