Former coach is accused of abusing student for years at an elite school in New York

A case of sexual abuse that involves a former volleyball and a student shook the community of the ETHical Culture Fieldston Schoolan exclusive private institution located in Bronx, New York. As reported by New York Posta lawsuit recently filed at the local Supreme Court accuses Collin Henryexcoach of the women’s team, having sexually manipulated and abused one of his players for a period of two years, starting when the victim was 17 years old. The complaint also points to another coach, Lynford Foremanand the school itself for not having acted to prevent abuse.

Infobae

The victim, identified in legal documents as Jane DoeHe is now 36 years old and ensures that the aggressions began in 2005, when he was a last year student at school. According to the demand, the abuse took place in multiple locations, including the school campus, home and during cinema. The woman affirms that the sequels of these facts have marked her life, leading her to suffer from depression, anxiety and post -traumatic stress disorder, which even prevented her from fulfilling her dream of studying medicine.

A pattern of inappropriate behavior and emotional manipulation

According to the demand, Collin Henrywho in the 90s was a player of the National Volleyball Team of Jamaica, used his position of power as a coach to emotionally manipulate the young woman. The complaint details that the defendant began sending her messages of sexual content in 2004, when she was 16 years old, and that during the trips out of season out of the Queens, the coach crossed limits by sharing sexual jokes and inappropriate personal stories. This behavior, according to the victim, was part of a process of «preparation» to establish a relationship of emotional dependence and obedience.

In the spring of 2005, when the student turned 17, Henry assured him that it was already “greater enough” to maintain a sexual relationship with him, although he warned him that he could lose his job if someone learned.

During the summer of that same year, the coach intensified his manipulation, preparing the ground for physical abuse that would begin in autumn. According to the demand, the first physical contact occurred after a practice, when Henry kissed her and subsequently appointed her captain of the team.

According to the accusations, the school was informed of abuse and staff members did not act to protect the student. (Google Maps)

Physical abuse and threats to keep silence

The complaint describes how abuse climbed quickly. On one occasion, during an exit to the cinema to watch the movie The Quietwho deals with the abuse of a father towards his daughter, Henry supposedly kissed her and touched her inappropriate.

In another way out, he forced her to perform sexual acts. When the young woman turned 18, the abuse became even more serious, with the former coach forcing her to have unprotected sex and telling her that she had to «bear» the pain.

In addition to physical abuse acts, demand indicates that Henry used threats to maintain control over the victim. According to legal documents, the coach warned him that if his relationship came to light, his chances of entering the university would be compromised. He also included the young woman in a book who wrote about her experience as a coach, which, according to the victim, was another form of emotional manipulation.

The school’s response and cover -up accusations

The ETHical Culture Fieldston Schoolwhich charges an annual registration of $ 65,540, has been accused in the demand of not having acted to protect the student, although, according to the victim, the school staff was aware of the abuse. The woman affirms that some employees even joked and gossip on the relationship between Henry and her, but did not take measures to stop him.

In July of this year, the victim filed a formal complaint with the school, aimed at then director Joe Algrant and the secondary school director, Stacey Bobo. In his statement, he explained that he decided to denounce the facts to regain control over his life and leave behind the impact that abuse had on his personal and professional career.

«Due to my mental health, I have had difficulty maintaining full -time job … but I still want to pursue a satisfactory career,» he said in his statement.

In response to the complaint, the school hired an external law firm to investigate the accusations. According to a spokesman for the institution, Henry was fired after the preliminary findings of the investigation. In August, the school sent an email to the school community informing about the “personnel update” related to the “misconduct”, although it did not explicitly mention the accusations of sexual abuse.

Denial of irregularities and preventive measures

In a statement, the school denied having drove the accusations and said that he had not received previous complaints about Henry. “The security and well -being of our students are our highest priority, and the ETHical Culture Fieldston School He acted quickly and adequately as a concern was raised, ”said a spokesman.

It also stressed that all school staff go through exhaustive background verifications, including criminal records and fingerprints, in addition to receiving annual training to prevent abuse and misconduct.

For its part, Collin Henry He refused to comment on the accusations, while Lynford Foremanthe other coach mentioned in the demand, did not respond to the requests for comments made by the New York Post.