Parents were left reeling Wednesday after a Bronx gym teacher allegedly exposed himself and committed indecent acts in front of students at a special education elementary school.
Police arrested Dana Barschdorf, 44, and charged him with two counts of attempted lewdness for allegedly exposing himself to students at the school.
Barschdorf allegedly inserted his genitals into a Lysol container, according to the NY Post. Staff members reported his behavior to law enforcement, according to police.
"He never looked right—that man looks weird, let me tell you," Ana Rodriguez, a parent of a student at PS 723 told the NY Post.
Rodriguez voiced her fears about the safety of children who, like her son, struggle to communicate due to developmental disabilities.
"I'm very upset and angry because I don't know if he has been inappropriate with my son," she added, "I have to advocate for my son because he can't."
Police arrested Barschdorf inside the Webster Avenue school on Tuesday, according to reports. Barschdorf reportedly earned close to $100,000 annually.
The allegations deeply disturbed parents as they were allegedly not informed of the incident by school officials.
"This alleged behavior is completely unacceptable," a Department of Education spokesperson told WABC. "This employee has been reassigned pending an investigation."
Children with disabilities are three times more likely to experience sexual abuse than those without disabilities, according to VERA. The risk is even greater for kids with intellectual or mental health challenges.
According to U.S. News rankings, the school's student body is 25% female and 75% male, with 92% of students identified as economically disadvantaged. The school also has a minority enrollment rate of 93.6% and employs the equivalent of 84 full-time teachers.
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