AUBURN A recently fired East Middle School teacher admitted to police that he graphically discussed degrading sex acts in class, considering it pretty funny, He also admitted giving students non-prescription pain medication and accidentally bringing marijuana into the classroom.
Jason T. Abbott, 28, of Syracuse was fired Dec. 20 from his position as an eighth-grade technology teacher at East Middle and charged by Auburn police last week with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The class A misdemeanors each carry a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Abbott is scheduled to appear in Auburn City Court Feb. 14 for a preliminary hearing. Abbott, his lawyer Joseph Sapio, and representatives of the Auburn school district did not respond to requests for comment, or to explain the circumstances around Abbott's former status as a teacher.
The charges stem from a series of incidents alleged by three female eighth-grade students in statements made to Police Officer Chris McLoughlin on Dec. 30.
Student allegations
One student in her statement said Abbott has been saying dirty things and talking about sex and drugs since the third day of school. Abbott would comment on his young student's bodies and shoot rubber bands at girl's butts, she said in her statement.
The student maintains in her statement that Abbott accused her of engaging in a homosexual act with a friend, that he wrote profanity on her notebook, made suggestive gestures in the hallway, asked her four times for oral sex, and taped a paper to her back with Lick Me scrawled on it.
Another time I asked for a pass and Mr. Abbott told me to put my hand in his pocket for 10 minutes and he would give me a pass,
she said in her statement.
The student said Abbott also spoke openly about drugs. Mr. Abbott was always taking pills when he had his arm in a cast and was always saying he had a buzz, she said in her statement. Mr. Abbott also asked me if I wanted to come to his house over the Christmas break to smoke some weed.
A second student's statement corroborated the first student's accounts of Abbott's inappropriate behavior in hallways, in class and in conversations.
Mr. Abbott and the boys in class would hit the girls with rubber bands, sometimes leaving welts. A friend of mine and I ended up with bruises from the rubber bands, she said in her statement. Mr. Abbott also has a habit of standing in front of some of the girls and knocking the books out of their hands.
In her statement, the second student said during a class in early December, Mr. Abbott starting talking about sexual stuff during class after he saw something written on another student's notebook and called her a slut.
According to the second student's statement, Abbott asked the student if she knew what the expression written on her notebook meant. She said no and told Mr. Abbott she didn't want to know either. Someone asked Mr. Abbott what it meant, so he told us, she said.
When some students reacted with disgust, the second student, in her statement, said Abbott responded by describing another sexual act.
A third student reinforced the second student's account of the classroom conversation, noting in her statement that after Abbott described the two sex acts, he said, You didn't hear this from me.
The third student in her statement also described Abbott speaking about using drugs. There was also one time when Mr. Abbott was telling the whole class about how he was smoking an 'L,' she said. When some of the kids didn't know what he was talking about, he explained that an 'L' is a 'Blunt,' which is a cigar filled with marijuana.
Abbott's statement
In his Jan. 2 statement to McLoughlin, Abbott said he was fired following a Dec. 20 meeting with East Middle School Principal Diane Dolcemascolo and Auburn School District Assistant Superintendent J.D. Pabis.
He said he was notified by the Auburn Police Department during the Christmas break that an investigation was underway into allegations made by East Middle School students.
I first want to state that I have never been sexually inappropriate with a female student at East Middle and that the accusations... are false, Abbott wrote in his statement.
However, Abbott acknowledged discussing the two sex acts with students in a technology class, noting students actually explained what one expression meant to him. When I found out what it was, I thought it was pretty funny, he said.
Abbott said he then described the second sex act and the class again thought this was funny.
In his statement, Abbott said he was taking generic Tylenol-like pain killers to treat shoulder pain lingering from a car accident. One day, he said, students asked him to share his pills.
I gave them each a Tylenol pill. I don't know if they took it or not, he said. I remember telling them they would catch a little buzz from the pills but I never thought they would.
Abbott admitted handing out the pills at least one other time to three students, but claimed in his statement, At no time did I ever give any student any prescription drug or narcotic drug.
During another incident, Abbott said in his statement that he had mistakenly left three small bags of marijuana in his wallet. While speaking with two students, he said, they saw the marijuana bags.
I either gave (her) one of the bags or she picked it up off the table, I don't remember which, Abbott said in his statement. (She) smelled the marijuana and made some comment and I grabbed it out of her hand. She asked me if I could get her some and I said no.
In his statement, Abbott said he never discussed his conversations or behavior with students with fellow teachers or administrators because I didn't want to get into trouble.
He concluded his statement by acknowledging, I know what I did was wrong.
Cayuga County District Attorney James Vargason said Wednesday he is aware of the charges against Abbott.
This case warrants aggressive prosecution; it goes beyond bad judgment, he said. His behavior is obviously intolerable.
To reach Staff Writer Robert Taylor call 253-5311, Ext. 267.
Abbott is scheduled to appear in Auburn City Court Feb. 14 for a preliminary hearing. Abbott, his lawyer Joseph Sapio, and representatives of the Auburn school district did not respond to requests for comment, or to explain the circumstances around Abbott's former status as a teacher.
The charges stem from a series of incidents alleged by three female eighth-grade students in statements made to Police Officer Chris McLoughlin on Dec. 30.
Student allegations
One student in her statement said Abbott has been saying dirty things and talking about sex and drugs since the third day of school. Abbott would comment on his young student's bodies and shoot rubber bands at girl's butts, she said in her statement.
The student maintains in her statement that Abbott accused her of engaging in a homosexual act with a friend, that he wrote profanity on her notebook, made suggestive gestures in the hallway, asked her four times for oral sex, and taped a paper to her back with Lick Me scrawled on it.
Another time I asked for a pass and Mr. Abbott told me to put my hand in his pocket for 10 minutes and he would give me a pass,
she said in her statement.
The student said Abbott also spoke openly about drugs. Mr. Abbott was always taking pills when he had his arm in a cast and was always saying he had a buzz, she said in her statement. Mr. Abbott also asked me if I wanted to come to his house over the Christmas break to smoke some weed.
A second student's statement corroborated the first student's accounts of Abbott's inappropriate behavior in hallways, in class and in conversations.
Mr. Abbott and the boys in class would hit the girls with rubber bands, sometimes leaving welts. A friend of mine and I ended up with bruises from the rubber bands, she said in her statement. Mr. Abbott also has a habit of standing in front of some of the girls and knocking the books out of their hands.
In her statement, the second student said during a class in early December, Mr. Abbott starting talking about sexual stuff during class after he saw something written on another student's notebook and called her a slut.
According to the second student's statement, Abbott asked the student if she knew what the expression written on her notebook meant. She said no and told Mr. Abbott she didn't want to know either. Someone asked Mr. Abbott what it meant, so he told us, she said.
When some students reacted with disgust, the second student, in her statement, said Abbott responded by describing another sexual act.
A third student reinforced the second student's account of the classroom conversation, noting in her statement that after Abbott described the two sex acts, he said, You didn't hear this from me.
The third student in her statement also described Abbott speaking about using drugs. There was also one time when Mr. Abbott was telling the whole class about how he was smoking an 'L,' she said. When some of the kids didn't know what he was talking about, he explained that an 'L' is a 'Blunt,' which is a cigar filled with marijuana.
Abbott's statement
In his Jan. 2 statement to McLoughlin, Abbott said he was fired following a Dec. 20 meeting with East Middle School Principal Diane Dolcemascolo and Auburn School District Assistant Superintendent J.D. Pabis.
He said he was notified by the Auburn Police Department during the Christmas break that an investigation was underway into allegations made by East Middle School students.
I first want to state that I have never been sexually inappropriate with a female student at East Middle and that the accusations... are false, Abbott wrote in his statement.
However, Abbott acknowledged discussing the two sex acts with students in a technology class, noting students actually explained what one expression meant to him. When I found out what it was, I thought it was pretty funny, he said.
Abbott said he then described the second sex act and the class again thought this was funny.
In his statement, Abbott said he was taking generic Tylenol-like pain killers to treat shoulder pain lingering from a car accident. One day, he said, students asked him to share his pills.
I gave them each a Tylenol pill. I don't know if they took it or not, he said. I remember telling them they would catch a little buzz from the pills but I never thought they would.
Abbott admitted handing out the pills at least one other time to three students, but claimed in his statement, At no time did I ever give any student any prescription drug or narcotic drug.
During another incident, Abbott said in his statement that he had mistakenly left three small bags of marijuana in his wallet. While speaking with two students, he said, they saw the marijuana bags.
I either gave (her) one of the bags or she picked it up off the table, I don't remember which, Abbott said in his statement. (She) smelled the marijuana and made some comment and I grabbed it out of her hand. She asked me if I could get her some and I said no.
In his statement, Abbott said he never discussed his conversations or behavior with students with fellow teachers or administrators because I didn't want to get into trouble.
He concluded his statement by acknowledging, I know what I did was wrong.
Cayuga County District Attorney James Vargason said Wednesday he is aware of the charges against Abbott.
This case warrants aggressive prosecution; it goes beyond bad judgment, he said. His behavior is obviously intolerable.
To reach Staff Writer Robert Taylor call 253-5311, Ext. 267.
