NEWTON (MA)
WBTS - NBC 10 [Boston MA]
February 6, 2026
By Kaitlin McKinley Becker
The student, who tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection in October, described inappropriate physical contact by a teacher at the Solomon Schechter Day School, according to the Boston Globe.
Multiple investigations are underway, and a private school teacher in Newton, Massachusetts, has been placed on leave after a young child, who tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection, reported the teacher touched them inappropriately.
The Boston Globe reports officials at the Solomon Schechter Day School sent an email to parents on Jan. 15, saying a student at the lower school “described inappropriate physical contact by a teacher at the school during the previous school year.”
The student’s age was not disclosed by school officials, however the lower elementary school is attended by students in pre-kindergarten through third grade. Solomon Schechter‘s head of school, Rebecca Lurie, and the board of trustees’ president, Eytan Shamash, said the student was diagnosed with an STI in early October 2025, according to the Globe.
“This information was immediately reported to the police and child safety authorities, who opened investigations,” they said in the email. “Given the child’s age and the STI involved, abuse was determined to be very likely.”
The teacher was placed on leave on Oct. 31, the Globe said. School officials have not named the teacher, and it’s unknown how long they worked at the school.
“As the family of the student diagnosed with the STI shared additional information, including a report of inappropriate touching by a teacher, we took immediate action and placed the teacher on leave the same day, October 31,” the school told the Globe in a statement Wednesday. “This information was also reported to police and child safety authorities, and their investigations are ongoing. Thus far, the investigations have not resulted in a finding that abuse took place at the school.”
Rachel Stroup, a lawyer for the teacher, told the Globe that her client “vehemently denied the allegations against him and we expect the evidence to show that he did not engage in any misconduct with any child at the school.”