By Ivan Pereira
A Campus Magnet High School instructor turned herself in to authorities last week for allegedly taking a teacher-student relationship too far, the Nassau county district attorney’s office said.
Tara Driscoll was arraigned Friday on third-degree rape and criminal sexual act charges in Nassau Criminal Court. The 33-year-old Bay Shore, L.I., resident allegedly took one of her teen students to a Long Island motel and had sexual relations with him five months ago, according to the DA’s office.
The victim’s mother had recently learned of the alleged March 19 incident and immediately informed the police, who questioned the teen, the DA’s office said. The alleged victim, who attended the Law, Government and Community Magnet School where Driscoll taught English, told officers about their allegedly illicit relationship, the criminal complaint said.
Driscoll allegedly drove the boy to the Capri Lynbrook Motor Inn at around 11 p.m. and performed illicit acts, according to the complaint. It is not known whether or not there were other trysts between the teacher and student, according to the authorities.
The city Department of Education said Driscoll had been teaching at Campus Magnet since 2006 but was not tenured. She was reassigned “away from the classroom in May” pending an investigation, according to a DOE spokeswoman who would not give more details about the new assignment.
Driscoll was released on bail shortly after her arraignment in court and was ordered by a judge to return Monday. Her attorney, Virginia Lopreto, did not return a phone call for comment.
If convicted on all of her charges, Driscoll faces up to four years in prison, the DA’s office said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
