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Ex-Greeley Teacher Sentenced After Guilty Plea For Sex Abuse Of Students

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - Former Horace Greeley High School drama teacher Christopher Schaufnagel was officially sentenced to three years probation in New Castle Town Court on Tuesday for allegedly sexually abusing teenage students.

Former Horace Greeley High School drama teacher Christopher Schaufnagel.

Former Horace Greeley High School drama teacher Christopher Schaufnagel.

Photo Credit: Westchester County District Attorney's Office

After completing intensive substance abuse and sexual therapy in New Jersey, Schaufnagel must also register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to charges that he sexually abused students.

The three years of probation with sex offender conditions includes work and residency restrictions as well as sex offender treatment. The Westchester District Attorney's Office noted that probation supervision is expected to be transferred to New Jersey, where Schraufnagel now lives.

A sex offender registration hearing is scheduled for July 12.

In a statement, David Engelsher, the attorney from the Law Office of William A. Gallina, representing four Horace Greeley High School families whose children were allegedly sexually assaulted by Schaufnagel said that "there is no closure" for his clients.

"There's no closure here. This was closure for the defendant. This was not closure for my clients. The hurt, the pain, the damage this man caused is permanent for the kids that I represent."

Schaufnagel was originally scheduled to be sentenced May 9, but his sentencing was postponed so he could complete treatment.

He had pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of sexual abuse in the third degree and admitted subjecting two of the three victims to sexual contact.

In a statement last month, Schaufnagel apologized to his victims and the Chappaqua community during an appearance in New Castle Town Court, expressing his “continual” remorse for his victims. In his statement, he said, as an adult, he should have known better than to cross the line with students.

Schraufnagel served as a drama teacher at Horace Greeley from 2003 until his resignation in 2015. He was accused of having sexual contact with three high school students over a four-year span and several others have come forward since.

Criminal allegations against Schraufnagel include acts of oral sex with a 15-year-old student and unspecified sexual contact and conversations with another. He was also accused of asking a student to kiss a group of classmates for a photo slideshow. Several other students came forward with civil lawsuits after the initial claims against the former educator.

The civil accusers have been represented by David Engelsher, an attorney who also lives in the school district. In his filings, Engelsher outlined a series of sordid allegations against Schraufnagel, including fondling of students; and involving students in events such as "Sick Secret Santa." In the case of the events, Schraufnagel is accused of exposing the students to human feces placed in a cup, pubic hair baked into cake and sperm placed in a bottle.

Allegations against Schraufnagel came to light in June 2015 and he resigned the following September. Schraufnagel was levied with criminal sex-abuse charged in October that year.

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