The Sins of a Teacher

It is important to know that a pedophile by definition is a person, who is sexually attracted to children. Often a pedophile will seek employment in a position that involves daily contact with children. The pedophile will prey on the shy or troublesome children and those who come from broken or single parent homes. Generally, the pedophile has an attraction to one gender. In fact, this is the case in two suits that we have filed against the Salamanca City School District and Michael DuPont.

Sexual assault and abuse knows no age, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or gender. It can happen and does happen to anyone. Men and boys who have been sexually assaulted or abused may have many of the same feelings and reactions as other survivors of sexual assault, but they may also face some additional challenges because of social attitudes and stereotypes about men and masculinity.

Michael DuPont is a former science teacher at Salamanca Middle/High School who was convicted and incarcerated for sexual crimes he committed against several teenage boys at the school. He is currently on New York State’s Sex Offender Registry. We represent two of his victims and have brought suits against him, along with his employer the Salamanca City School District, for sexual assault that occurred from 2002 through 2003. Both victims endured the same abuse at the hands of Michael DuPont, in fact they were targeted by DuPont. As stated in our complaints, DuPont developed a questionnaire at the beginning of the school year to determine the backgrounds of students and learn such things as whether the children came from broken or single-parent homes. Both victims filled out the questionnaires and they fit the stereotype of student that DuPont preyed on.

DuPont began his campaign to manipulate both plaintiffs and showered them with lots of attention so that they could begin to trust him. For one plaintiff DuPont made personalized CD’s with the student’s favorite music and gave him special privileges in the classroom. For the other, DuPont took him to the movies and to get ice cream and even allowed plaintiff to take DuPont’s personal lap top home since he didn’t have a computer at home. Once trust was built, DuPont started to show the boys pornography at school featuring young boys engaged in sexual acts on the school’s premises.

The attorneys at Hach & Rose understand how sensitive it is for male survivors of sexual abuse to come forward and tell their story. Men who were sexually abused as boys or teens may also respond differently than men who were sexually assaulted as adults. While not a complete list, male survivors of sexual abuse and assault tend to experience the following:

• Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks, and eating disorders
• Avoiding people or places that remind you of the assault or abuse
• Concerns or questions about sexual orientation
• Fear of the worst happening and having a sense of a shortened future
• Feeling like “less of a man” or that you no longer have control over your own body
• Feeling on-edge, being unable to relax, and having difficulty sleeping
• Sense of blame or shame over not being able to stop the assault or abuse, especially if you experienced an erection or ejaculation
• Withdrawal from relationships or friendships and an increased sense of isolation
• Worrying about disclosing for fear of judgment or disbelief

At Hach & Rose, LLP, we are committed to achieving that justice. We will work thoroughly and passionately to represent those who felt they could not protect themselves. If you or a loved one has suffered from any form of sexual assault, it is crucial to act now. Do not hesitate to contact the New York sexual abuse lawyers at Hach & Rose, LLP today at (212) 779-0057. Our compassionate, caring, and experienced attorneys will work diligently to uncover whether criminal charges, a civil lawsuit – or both – can be filed against the perpetrator or negligent third party who is responsible for the abuse and its damages to you.