Erasmus Hall teacher indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting student
A 66-year-old business teacher at Flatbush’s Erasmus Hall High School was arraigned on Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing his 16-year-old student.
Mervyn Affoon pleaded not guilty at Brooklyn Supreme Court to the 25-count indictment charging him with promoting a sexual performance by a child, forcible touching, sexual abuse and other counts.
Previously arrested and out on $20,000 bail, Supreme Court Justice William Miller remanded him on $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash bail based on upgraded felony charges.
Between February 2017 and June 23, 2017, Affoon is accused of performing sexual acts on his student nine times in both the school and Affoon’s apartment. Specifically, he allegedly groped the student and placed his hand on his penis, once in a classroom and twice in a school elevator, prosecutors said.
The school teacher also allegedly continued the acts in his East Flatbush apartment multiple times.
Then before the school year ended, Affoon allegedly asked the student to send him a sexual video of himself, which prosecutors said he did.
“This defendant’s alleged actions are an incredible betrayal of trust,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “Teachers should protect their students and schools should be safe havens.”
Affoon was eventually arrested on October 2017 when the student told his mother about the alleged abuse.
With the student’s family pushing an $11 million lawsuit against Affoon and the city, defense attorney Mark Pollard rebutted the allegations as a means to money.
“I have proof that this case is about an $11 million lawsuit,” Pollard said in court, shaking the civil complaint. “The charge has no factual merit to it whatsoever.”
