THE SEXUAL PREDATOR ASSISTANT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

Eduardo Genao, Hartford Assistant Superintendent of Schools.

I don't usually take my phone calls and blog postings to heart, but this is just one that is disgusting.

Let me start with the background first. On Monday of this week, April 4, 2016, I received a call from a community member who had a very troubling story about alleged predatory behavior by Hartford's Assistant Superintendent of Schools Eduardo Genao. The caller explained to me allegations of predatory sexual behavior of Genao  involving a 13 year old girl and was looking for advice on how to proceed.

I immediately put the caller in touch with Hartford Police Department's Deputy Chief Brian Foley. Foley is the Departments Public Information Officer but is also Commander of the Investigative Services Division, which handles detectives that investigate juvenile issues and abuse issues.
It should be noted that within minutes of Chief Foley being notified , HPD launched an investigation and moved quickly to protect a 13 year old from a predator.

Unfortunately, the Hartford Board of Education  and the Superintendent 's Office did not move as quickly  and seemed to turn a blind eye to the predatory allegations when they were notified on March 22, 2016, and apparently did nothing after that date either. Doctor Aaron Lewis , President of the Scribe Institute, began the notification process after being made aware of the allegations on or about March 22, 2016.

The Scribe Institute is a local non-profit that works with Hartford Youth  http://thescribesinstitute.org/. The Scribes Institute  strives to bolster the academic toolkit of young people and of disenfranchised adults around the world, focusing on reading and writing as the foundation to individual success, personal freedom and strong communities.

Doctor Lewis attempted to notify Hartford's Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr, Gislaine Ngounou on March 22, 2016 of the allegations. In an interview this morning, Dr Lewis showed me the actual text messages on his phone between himself and Ngounou on March 22nd. .Dr. Lewis's texts outlined the allegations of a sexual nature against Eduardo Genao and  Ngounou replied back that she was busy. Here is a portion of the text from Dr. Lewis to Superintendent Ngounou  "It's an urgent matter concerning one of your directors with regard to inappropriate child contact. Just wanted to give you a chance to respond before going public. Thanks. Dr. Lewis. "

"Inappropriate child contact" you would think that those words alone would raise red flags and get someone entrusted to care for children to take action. But apparently not in the case of the top staff at the Hartford School System.

I am not quite sure what would take priority over getting to the bottom of allegations of sexual predatory behavior involving a child by an educator. Regardless, nothing moved forward  and Dr Lewis also has an e-mail trail to Hartford Board of Education Chairman Richard Wareing, apparently detailing the allegations. The e-mail is below

Lewis Wareing Email

The Hartford Schools clearly dropped the ball on this one, even though they are mandated reporters required to notify authorities on any allegations of Child abuse or predatory sexual behavior by an adult .

As I said earlier, the Hartford Police Department should be recognized for their quick response when they were made aware of the allegations. , unlike the Hartford Schools.

Shortly after making HPD  aware of the allegations I received a call from an internal source from HPD. The source was requesting that I delay posting anything on the blog. Naturally I questioned the request . The source replied that the allegations appeared to be "legit" and HPD was applying for search warrants for Eduardo Genao's home , cell phone, computer harddrive's and related evidence. HPD felt that any advance notice would allow evidence to be destroyed. That was good enough for me to hold off if it meant protecting children from a predator

I readily agreed to hold off for a day or two until I was given the go ahead. On Tuesday April 5th at roughly 8:00PM , detectives from the Hartford Police Department hit Genao's house in Hamden and served the search warrants. The warrant has been sealed by the Court for 14 days, but sources are telling me that extensive evidence of abuse and predatory behavior has been recovered and is indicating the existence of other victims. At least one other potential  victim has come forward today alone.

The nature of the texts Genao had sent to the 13 year old included naked pictures of Genao's genitals  and very suggestive sexual comments to the child . Genao's texts asked her about  her sexual behavior and personal questions including levels of sexual arousal. Those texts and photographs  have apparently been recovered by Investigators and  are part of the investigation that should lead to arrest warrants being issued.

The investigation also continues into any role those in the Superintendent's Office or at Hartford Schools may have played in covering Genao's behavior  or failing to report the behavior to authorities..

Anyone complicit in the abuse or allowing for the abuse to continue through their silence or inactivity  should be tendering their resignation immediately. There is no wiggle room on this, abuse of a child is inexcusable especially by anyone in a position of authority or respect over children.

Despite repeated calls to the Board of Education spokesperson Pedro Zayas, no comment has been made available to me. Apparently Kelvin Roldan the Board's "Communications's Director" does not consider me a legitimate journalist, even though I reported the story first and despite requests has not provided me with any information, but as Roldan should know by now, I still get the story.

According to sources , this may not be the first incident for Genao and his exit from a New York School System was under a cloud. Genao was also found to have improperly obtained a job for his brother in the same school system he worked for. Genao was fined $1,000 for his involvement in that scheme. From the "New York Sun" on March 4, 2005:


SUPERINTENDENT FINED $1,000 BY CONFLICTS BOARD
The city's Conflicts of Interest Board announced yesterday that a local instructional superintendent was fined $1,000 for helping his brother get a job.

The local instructional superintendent, Eduardo Genao, forwarded his brother's resume to all principals in his region, Region 2, last August, even though he oversaw 10 of the principals.
Mr. Genao's attempt to help his high-school-educated brother get a job as a school aide violated one of the chancellor's regulations, which prohibits Department of Education employees from hiring or supervising relatives.

Right away, one of the principals who received the message complained to Mr. Genao's supervisor about the e-mail, and Mr. Genao tried to recall the unread messages. Four days after the incident, Mr. Genao turned himself in to the Department of Education at the advice of his lawyers.

- Staff Reporter of the Sun

Here is more on this from the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters:http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/Hartford-Public-Schools-Administrator-Resigns-Amid-Police-Investigation-374736211.html