NYC Must Pay $18 Million to Man Abused by Teacher Who Was Kept in School

A jury found the city acted with recklessness after school heads kept the teacher in class despite parent protests in the 1970s.

WHAT HAPPENED

Decades ago, a music teacher named John Clark abused young boys at P.S. 15 in Brooklyn. He did this in a dark school auditorium during class movies. He held his hand over a ten-year-old boy's mouth to stop his screams.

The boy's parents and others fought back. In 1971, they held a massive school boycott to demand change. Still, the school principal kept the teacher in the school, promising to watch him.

That promise was broken, and more kids were hurt. Now, a jury has ordered the city to pay the victim $18 million. This is the first case of its kind to go all the way to a jury under the Child Victims Act.

What the money/evidence shows

• A jury awarded $18 million to the victim, known as A.P.
• The abuse happened in the early 1970s at P.S. 15 in Red Hook.
• Parents staged a school boycott in 1971 that was 90 percent effective.
• The teacher was arrested but only got five years of probation.
• The school principal kept the teacher on staff after the first claims.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

How many other schools have hidden dark secrets to protect their own names? When officials choose to look away, they leave deep scars that do not heal. We must ask why it took fifty years for the city to take blame for what happened in its own halls.

THE OTHER SIDE

A city spokesperson said they are now looking over the verdict. The teacher, John Clark, died years ago and cannot speak to these claims. But based on school notes and old news reports, the city's defense was very weak. The jury quickly saw that school heads failed to protect the children.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

This big win opens the door for other old cases. It shows that cities cannot simply wait out the clock on abuse claims. For the victim, the money cannot erase the past, but it gives a sense of justice at last.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

Why did the school board let the principal keep the teacher on staff?

• How many other children did this teacher hurt before he was stopped?
• Will the city set up better ways to spot and stop abuse in schools today?