Brooklyn teacher acquitted of raping middle school student wants job back

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A Brooklyn teacher who was accused of drugging and raping a middle school student but has since been acquitted would like her job back.

Claudia Tillery, 45, was acquitted in April 2014 and pointed out in papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court that the Department of Education’s hearing officer used improper methods by calling forth sealed evidence, DNA tests and the prosecutor’s testimony. She also alleges that proper credit was not given to her witnesses, who were her children and their homeless, schizophrenic father.

However, the hearing officer, Haydee Rosario, pointed out that the acquittal did not excuse Tillery’s inappropriate behavior, which included allowing the student into her home without parental or administrative permission, taking the student to the Motor Inn on seven occasions, and giving the student $500.

The student testified that he and Tillery had oral sex and intercourse in her bedroom and a hotel room that she rented on multiple occasions. While DNA analysis found no semen on her bedroom comforter, one stain on it had vaginal fluids and saliva that contained both their DNA, according to court papers.

Tillery suggested that the student came in contact with the comforter one day when it was in the hamper in her laundry room.

Rosario believes, despite the acquittal, the evidence clearly suggests the true nature of their relationship. “In this case, the record is replete with evidence, including the DNA analysis report that corroborates the credible account given by Student A.”

Tillery also failed to report that the student had taken her daughter’s laptop along with a camera and her phone. The student said that Tillery did not report the thefts because she was afraid he would disclose the nature of their relationship. A school aide also testified, that she saw video that that student had taken of a sexual encounters with Tillery.

Rosaria rejects Tillery’s defense that the student was manipulative and made her interact with him.

“Her defense of ‘he made me do it’ reasoning, that Student A, a minor entrusted to her care, caused all of her misery that she endured during her criminal trial and during this disciplinary proceeding, serves to demonstrate why termination of her employment is the only appropriate penalty in this case,” Rosario said.

No word yet on if Tillery will get her job back.