Asst. principal accused of inappropriate texts

NORTHPORT, N.Y.

47-year-old Craig Cohen will not be returning to Wyandanch High School, at least not for now.

Police say they've received reports from two female students and a teacher that they received inappropriate text messages from Cohen and that the messages kept coming even after they asked him to stop.

"There was no explicit request to engage in any sort of sexual conduct but they were sexually explicit messages," said Inspector Gerard Gigante, of the Suffolk County Police Department.

Police say Cohen approached the students in the cafeteria took their cell phones out of their hands and dialed his number.

"He waited for the call to go through and then handed it back to her," Gigante said.

Investigators say in at least one instance Cohen texted one of the students asking her to come to his office.

"She did not go down to the office. After school that day he asked her why didn't she come down to the office," Gigante said.

The superintendent of the Wyandanch Union Free School District wouldn't go on camera to discuss the allegations but released this statement to Eyewitness News:

"The staff member has been reassigned immediately and further appropriate action will be taken by the school district pending the results of the investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department."

Students Eyewitness News spoke to who say they know Cohen say they do not think any of this is true.

"He ain't do it. He a good man since I knew him as a freshman. He always been there for everybody for every student. He gives us great ideas. He helps us stuff we need tutoring so to me he ain't do it," said Juan Serrano, a senior.

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