New York school counselor accused of sexual harassment, bullying

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A New York City school counselor is accused of sexually harassing a 14-year-old student and threatening to “beat” her to death, a lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, accuses the Manhattan school counselor, Susan J. Fuchs, and her former co-workers of making inappropriate comments to the student, who was a student at Manhattan’s Sidwell Friends School, in January 2015.

The lawsuit says Fuchs was also the primary contact for the school’s principal, who said Fuchs called her a “slut” in 2015 and was verbally abusive.

The suit says the student had reported Fuchs’s behavior to police, but she has not been charged.

Fuchs did not return calls seeking comment.

Her former coworkers, including a principal, told the lawsuit that Fuchs had a “lack of empathy” for the student and her family and that she was prone to inappropriate behavior.

The school district has not commented.

The district is also looking into whether Fuchs and another employee who was also fired from the school were involved in inappropriate behavior, the lawsuit says.

Falls Church City, Pennsylvania-based attorney Jonathan Miller said the lawsuit is the latest in a string of high-profile sexual harassment allegations made against public school employees.

Miller said the harassment cases are the most common form of alleged sexual harassment in the U.S. and that Fumbles behavior has no connection to the school district.

The school district’s chief financial officer, Kevin Schmitt, has been placed on leave.

He could not immediately be reached for comment.

A spokesman for the Manhattan School District said in a statement that Fuchs was relieved of her duties and was working with an outside agency to determine what additional actions were necessary to support the student.

In a statement, the school system said Fuch’s dismissal is a result of an internal investigation, and the board of directors will determine how to proceed with its actions.

“The board of trustees will meet tomorrow to review the actions taken by the board, including any discipline, which is still being determined, the statement said.

Fuchs did not respond to a message left on her cell phone.

Fumbles, 52, was named superintendent of New York’s Bronx-based New Beginnings School in March, according to a news release.

She has been a school counselor at Sidwell and Sidwell-Cabrus High Schools since 2007.

She has a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University and taught in New York State.