A Queens public school teacher was arrested Tuesday morning and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows for allegedly endangering the welfare of a child, according to the NYPD.
Shahiem Willis, 25, of Queens, is accused of crimes against a child after it was reported to law enforcement that he shared text messages “of sexual content” with a 16-year-old former student of his at the same school where he teaches English.
The text messages were sent to the teenager between Wednesday, July 19, and Thursday, July 20, police said.
The NYPD released a mug shot of Willis and asked for the public’s assistance to provide further information as to whether he exchanged text messages with other students.
The NYPD did not identify which school in Queens he was teaching at this summer, but the confines of the 107th Precinct include the neighborhoods of Cunningham Heights, Hilltop Village and Fresh Meadows.
“This alleged behavior is very troubling and completely unacceptable,” DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said in a statement to QNS. “Upon learning of this allegation, the employee was immediately removed, pending the outcome of the arrest. If convicted, we will pursue termination. Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students.”
Willis, who was a teacher at M.S. 935 in Brooklyn, was charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child, police said.
The investigation is ongoing.
