By Michael Morton
Turner was arraigned last Thursday at State Supreme Court in Manhattan and was being held on $500 bail, the DA said. He is next scheduled to appear in the court May 21 and faces up to one year in jail if found guilty of the charges.
The alleged sexual abuse took place May 3 at Manhattan's East Side Community High School, a public facility located at 420 East 12th St., police said. The 15-year-old told officers that Turner lifted up her bra and licked and kissed her breast, then stuck two of his fingers inside her waistband when she tried to walk away, police said.
Members of Turner's family declined to comment, and the high school and the city Department of Education did not return phone calls by press time.
However, Margie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the department, told Newsday that Turner has been employed by the department since 1997 and began working at East Side Community in 2000. Feinberg said Turner has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of his case.
Michael Hughes, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society and Turner's lawyer, said his client was also an assistant dean at the high school. He said Turner had never before had a complaint filed against him. Though he could not comment on specifics about the case, Hughes said, “We believe Mr. Turner will be vindicated.”
Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by calling 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
