A former North Colonie School District teacher aide was arrested late Monday night for inappropriate conduct and forcible touching of a developmentally disabled student.
Joseph P. Montimurro, 45, of 18 Marconi Drive in Latham, was supervising a 17-year-old developmentally disabled girl who was a student Shaker High School. Police said the victim’s relative found communication between the Montimurro and the student over Facebook and text messages. The relative contacted the school district on Dec. 23, sparking an internal investigation.
District officials then contacted Colonie police and the state Education Department. Police began an investigation looking into the allegations.
“We were notified by the North Colonie School in the first week of January in regards to what was reported to them as inappropriate conduct between the defendant and the victim. We discovered that the communication was not criminal in nature,” said Lieutenant Robert Winn of the Colonie Police Department.
However, the victim later “notified police that she was subjected to forcible touching” on two instances in September 2014. The incidents took place at a job site program through the high school.
After the district was notified of the allegedly inappropriate communication, Montimurro was placed on paid administrative leave. During the investigation by Colonie police, Montimurro offered his resignation, which the North Colonie Board of Education accepted.
Montimurro was arrested on Monday, Jan. 26, at 5 p.m. He was charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in the first degree, a felony, and two counts of forcible touching, a misdemeanor. He turned himself in, accompanied by his attorney Andrew Safranko.
While police have not found other victims, due to the nature of the crime, anyone who may have more information is asked to contact Colonie police at 783-2744.
