NYC teacher is fired from prestigious $21,000 a year private school after she tried to film an 11-year-old boy in the toilet cubicle
- Matthew Chicas was fired from his role as a math teacher at Xavier High School after being arrested in April after allegedly photographing a boy in a bathroom
- On Wednesday, Chicas pleaded not guilty to charges including possession of a child’s sexual performance and unlawful supervision
- The boy claims he was using the bathroom at another school when he saw a phone peeking over the top of the toilet cubicle he was in
A teacher at a prestigious New York City school has been fired after allegedly attempting to film an 11-year-old boy in a restroom cubicle.
Matthew Chicas has been charged with charges including unlawful supervision, possession of a child’s sexual performance and endangering a child’s welfare.
Chicas had been a math teacher at Xavier High School private school in Manhattan, which costs $21,000 a year, when he reportedly filmed the youngster in April.
During that time, he worked on the REACH leadership program and Jesuit prep class held at Regis High School, also in Manhattan.
During an appearance in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday, Chicas pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Matthew Chicas, pictured, has been charged with charges including unlawful supervision, possession of a child’s sexual performance and endangering a child’s welfare
Chicas was employed by the prestigious Xavier High School, pictured here
Chicas was suspended following his April arrest and Xavier High School and according to the Post New YorkT he no longer works at the school.
According to an indictment seen by the Post, the alleged victim had gone to the bathroom on the fourth floor of Regis when he heard the sound of someone moving.
The complaint continues that while he was urinating, the boy looked up to see a green mobile phone with a black camera hanging at the top of the stall, pointing at him.
A school official checked surveillance footage and allegedly saw Chicas enter the bathroom prior to the alleged incident.
Chicas would have been seen coming out of the toilet after the boy ran out.
The newspapers that see the post also show that the program director went to the police with the images the same day.
A statement from Regis High School said: ‘On April 15, a student informed us that an unidentified person attempted to take pictures of him while he was in a restroom.
“Immediately after the allegation was reported to us, we contacted the student’s parents and reported the allegation to both Child Protective Services and the NYPD.”
The alleged incident allegedly happened in April at Regis High School in Manhattan’s Upper East Side
His lawyer has said he maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court
The statement continued, “The NYPD responded and came to Regis that afternoon to begin their investigation.
“On the same day, we also notified all REACH and Regis parents of this allegation. Based on our assessment of the facts, we have dismissed the REACH teacher, Mr. Matthew Chicas.
‘Mr. Chicas has been charged with attempted illegal surveillance and endangering a minor, and REACH and Regis are cooperating fully with the NYPD’s investigation.
“We are deeply saddened that one of our REACH teachers may have violated the high standards we expect our teachers and staff to adhere to when interacting with our students.”
The boy’s mother, Olaya Lopez, filed a lawsuit against Xavier High School in June of this year over the alleged incident.
In it, Lopez claims that the school never reported the abuse and instead suppressed it and that her son, known only as “JC,” reported the alleged abuse to another teacher.
Chicas is expected to appear in court on Sept. 13, with his attorney Donald Vogelman saying his client “is not guilty of the charges and looks forward to his day in court,” the post said.