New York City after-school program instructor accused of rape, smoking pot with students

UPPER WEST SIDE (WABC) -- A New York City after-school program instructor is under arrest after police say he sexually assaulted one student and smoked marijuana with another.

Jamal Baughan, 22, of Harlem, is charged with one count of rape and three counts of acting in a manger injurious to a child.

The alleged incidents involving two students in the Roads to Success after-school program at PS 191 on the Upper West Side.

Authorities say Baughan raped and smoked marijuana at his home with one student, and smoked marijuana with the second.

There is also an allegation involving two other students, both young girls, but he is not yet facing charges in that incident at this time.

Baughan was in his first year as a part-time dance instructor at the after-school program. Officials say he did pass a background check, but he is a not a city or Department of Education employee.

Roads to Success issued the following statement:

"Roads to Success (RTS) provides after-school programs to young people in underserved communities. We have a strict, unambiguous policy restricting staff from contacting students outside of program hours. Our policies are in place to protect the health and safety of the children in our program. Any employee who violates our "No Contact" policy is subject to immediate termination.

"On Monday April 13 RTS learned that one of its staff members had inappropriate contact with two students outside of program hours. Based on what we found in our internal investigation the employee was dismissed.

"On Wednesday April 15 another allegation was made about inappropriate conduct between the same staff member and another student outside of program time. Because of the more serious nature of this allegation, the situation was brought immediately to the School Principal, the student's parents, and the police. We also contacted our oversight agency, The Department of Health and the program's funder, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.

"Because of the nature of the allegations we wrote to all parents in this After School Program to inform them of the staff member's termination, remind them of our "No Contact" policy, ask them to remind their children of the policy, and share any information that they feel we should know.

"RTS runs complete background checks on all staff members before they are hired. The background check of the staff member at issue here was clear. We find this news very troubling. We remain committed to providing a safe environment in our after school programs and enforcing the policies we have in place to protect your children.

Because this is an ongoing police investigation, we cannot discuss specific details of what may or may not have happened. We will cooperate fully with the police investigation."

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, which funds the program, also issued a statement through spokesperson Mark Zustovich.

"DYCD is disturbed by the allegations, and is working to ensure that the provider fully cooperates with the investigation and that appropriate actions are taken. Nothing is more important to the City than the safety and well-being of our young people."