A now former teacher in New York City is accused of raping a 14-year-old female student in 2024.
The suspect is identified as 34-year-old Jayvone Johnson, who worked as a gym teacher and basketball coach at the Icahn Charter School 2, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
Police arrested him on December 21, and the school has since said he no longer works there:
Johnson held both positions at the charter school while serving as the program director of the after-school New York Junior Tennis & Learning program, which he oversaw through March 2024.
The alleged rapist boasted about how teaching middle schoolers taught him “about patience and engaging the minds of the youth,” who he aspired to help “get recruited at colleges of all types to pursue their dreams.”
He is accused of taking the girl to a motel called the Jet Set Hotel and committing the crime. Authorities charged him with rape, sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to ABC 7.
The outlet noted, “He was released on his own recognizance.”
Police released a photo of the suspect to encourage others who may have been victimized to contact them.
Per News 12, he has no prior criminal history and parents are upset they are just now learning about the alleged incident from the school. The outlet continued:
“I feel like that’s what schools always do,” Gaby Mendoza, whose brother is a seventh grader at the school, [said.] “They never say anything and I feel like they don’t really act on it, either. Like if a teacher is doing that, I feel like they should be saying more.”
The charter school would not answer questions about when Johnson was fired—or how long administrators may have known about the allegations—only confirming to News 12 that he is “no longer employed by the school.”
Officials said Johnson turned himself in. He has since pleaded not guilty in the case, CBS News reported.
One parent said he had no idea about the alleged incident until now but was glad the man no longer worked at the school. However, that did not mean the students’ parents felt completely at ease about the situation.
“I am containing myself, but if I were to – there would be a lot of expletives involved. It’s extremely frustrating. It’s not only frustrating, it’s alarming,” the parent stated.
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