Assistant principal groped student, showed her explicit videos in his office, NYPD says
An assistant principal accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old student was arrested at the Queens high school where he works, the New York Police Department told news outlets.
Michael Budhu, 52, was arrested Wednesday, May 15, and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree sexual abuse, according to the NYPD.
Budhu is accused of making inappropriate advances toward a student on at least two occasions at John Adams High School, the New York Daily News reported, citing police.
Investigators said he rubbed the teen’s leg without her consent and showed her an explicit video while they were alone in his office, according to the Daily News.
At one point, Budhu allegedly threatened to fail the student, saying: “If you want to pass my class, this will have to happen,” NBC New York reported. The student left his office when someone knocked on the door, police told the station.
Budhu was listed among the school’s administration, though his name was seemingly scrubbed from the school’s website as of May 16.
A LinkedIn profile that seemingly belongs to the assistant principal shows he’s been an NYC Department of Education employee since 2006.
Contact information for his attorney wasn’t available. When questioned by NBC New York, Budhu denied the allegations.
The 15-year-old student reported what happened to a teacher, who alerted another assistant principal at the school, NBC New York reported. That administrator contacted police.
“This alleged behavior is reprehensible, and nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students,” a Department of Education spokesperson told PIX 11, adding that Budhu was reassigned pending an investigation.
The administrator pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday and was released, the New York Daily News reported. He’s due back in court in July.
This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Assistant principal groped student, showed her explicit videos in his office, NYPD says."