Dark secrets at NJ school resurface as more grads make sex abuse accusations

🔴 Former student claims multiple teachers sexually harassed her at Union City school.

🔴 Lawsuit claims school officials ignored abuse and enabled a toxic culture.

🔴 Other former students now coming forward with similar accusations

UNION CITY — Several graduates from a high school in New Jersey say their teachers encouraged each other to sexually abuse students, and many got away with it.

The shocking allegations are detailed in a lawsuit from one victim, as well as on social media by other former students. The accusations have become a focus of a local political activist seeking to tie the scandal to municipal officials. New Jersey 101.5 is only identifying one teacher, the only one of the accused who has been charged and prosecuted.

Accusations of widespread sexual abuse in Union City schools

The victim was a 16-year-old student in Francisco Lindo's math class at Emerson High School. In May 2009, she told a clerk in the nurse's office that she'd had an illicit relationship with the teacher. The student broke off the relationship, but Lindo continued to follow her around the school. He was arrested the next day.

Lindo was 30 years old at the time. He was arrested at his Clifton home, where prosecutors said the sexual encounters took place from February through November 2008. They also had sex in a Union City Public Schools classroom, the victim said

There's no doubt that the sexual encounters took place. Lindo, now 47, pleaded guilty to second-degree child endangerment and was sentenced to five years in state prison. He was released on Aug. 12, 2013. His teaching certificate was revoked in 2012 and he never contested the accusations in those hearings.

Claims of a culture of misconduct by multiple teachers

In a new lawsuit filed in Superior Court, the victim says the Union City School District had a responsibility to protect students from sexual predators. Instead, the district protected and enabled the grooming of a teenage girl.

"We are also aware of multiple other similar incidents within the Union City school district, as the district certainly created and fostered an environment for their employees to sexually abuse and harass minor students," her attorney, David Connor Castellani, said in an email. A Union City School District spokesperson said the district could not comment on pending litigation.

Other former students come forward with new accusations

Two other Emerson High School graduates have come forward with accusations against their football coach. Michael Torres and Jonathan Almeida said the teacher exposed himself to them.

A third individual who remained anonymous said that in 1994, the same teacher, who was also the baseball coach, tried to touch his genitals and had relationships with female students.

The accusations were made in a YouTube livestream hosted by political gadfly Leroy "Truth" Filipowski. He's been arrested and had those same charges against him dropped dozens of times for his tactics to get the reactions of local officials and police officers on video. Critics call him a "frauditor."

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Without documented evidence, Filipowski has made sweeping claims that local officials and New Jersey media outlets are engaged in an Epstein-level cover-up of the sexual assault of hundreds of Union City students. Filipowski said that he had been "profoundly targeted" by those same Union City officials.

"I'm hoping you put me into the story," Filipowski said in a phone call with a New Jersey 101.5 reporter. Filipowski claimed that Lindo's victim had been inspired to file the lawsuit because of his investigative work. The victim's attorney, however, said he had no comment on Leroy Flipowski, "as we have never heard of that name."

Lasting trauma and legal fight for accountability

Castellani's client says a culture of sexual abuse spread throughout Emerson High School beyond her math teacher. The woman, who is now 34, says their sexual activity was common knowledge throughout the school. And she claims that while Lindo was the only one arrested, several other male teachers were engaged in predatory behavior.

At least seven male teachers made sexual comments and advances, the lawsuit says. It also says three of them openly talked about what they would do if they could have sex with the teenager. The accusations include:

🔴 A male teacher lifted her shirt up and made sexual comments about her body;

🔴 Another male teacher told the victim that he had erectile dysfunction and she could help;

🔴 A third male teacher tried to pursue a sexual relationship with the victim after he learned about Lindo's abuse.

🔴 A male English teacher used a video camera between her legs during a school presentation.

Months before the English teacher made the video recording, the victim sent an email to that teacher in an attempt to report Lindo's abuse. Instead, the English teacher used the information to engage in more harassment, the lawsuit said.

The victim was also bullied by other students at Emerson High School who knew about her encounters with Lindo. Her reputation followed her to college at Farleigh Dickinson University. She moved away to Florida to escape the harassment.

The woman says she still deals with trauma, anxiety, and fear. Her lawsuit seeks punitive damages and attorney fees.

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