Ex-Greeley Teacher Pleads Guilty, Gets Sex Offender Status
Former Horace Greeley High School drama teacher Christopher Schraufnagel pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges Monday morning in New Castle Justice Court that forces him to now register as a sex offender.
In the revised plea, Schraufnagel, 42, accepted two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and one count of sexual abuse, all misdemeanors. It follows a rejection of the original deal in August by Town Justice Douglas Kraus, who expressed discomfort at the absence of sex offender status for the defendant.
The new condition will require the disgraced ex-teacher to alert authorities of his status regardless of where he lives in the country, said a spokesman for the Westchester County district attorney’s office.
Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 9.
Schraufnagel had agreed to plead guilty in the summer to three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor that would have sentenced him to three years of probation and having to relinquish his teaching license. It was at that court appearance that his attorney, Stacey Richman, told Kraus that Schraufnagel was suffering from cancer.
As outlined in a seven-count indictment last year, Schraufnagel admitted in court on Monday that the abuse took place between 2011 and 2015. There were two instances of sexual contact.
For nearly a year and a half, the controversy has enveloped Chappaqua and the school community, when several students accused him of inappropriate behavior and abuse in June 2015. He was suspended with pay until last September when he resigned his teaching post after 12 years on the job.
In October 2015, he was arrested on seven counts, including one felony charge.
During board of education meetings in recent months, outspoken community members have demanded action. Last week Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lyn McKay resigned her position.
Although the criminal matter will be resolved shortly, seven former students have filed civil suits against Schraufnagel, which must still be adjudicated in state Supreme Court.
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