CT teacher arraigned on multiple charges for alleged sexual assault of 12 students

A Stamford teacher, who previously coached girls basketball, was arraigned Monday morning on dozens of criminal charges pertaining to the alleged sexual assault of young girls.

Andrew Park, 33, allegedly touched 12 girls who were students at Strawberry Hill International Baccalaureate School in sexually inappropriate ways. The girls ranged in age from 11 to 13 years old, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Park was brought into Stamford Superior Court about 12:30 p.m. Monday wearing a gray Adidas sweatshirt and handcuffs. He was arraigned on 36 charges following his arrest Friday — 12 counts of sexual assault, 12 counts of risk of injury to a child, and 12 counts of illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16 years old.

According to a 41-page warrant affidavit for his arrest obtained by the Hartford Courant, the fifth-grade teacher allegedly touched the girls on their buttocks while giving them hugs, usually after giving them candy or food in his classroom.

The Stamford Police Department alleges that Park also kissed some girls on the forehead, smelled one girl’s hair, touched another girl’s legs while driving her hone from practice and occasionally called his students “babe” or told him he loved them, the warrant affidavit.

During Monday’s court proceedings, Park’s attorney William Wescott noted that Park’s wife — with whom he shares a daughter — his parents, and his wife’s parents were in the courtroom to support him.

Sitting not far from his family were two women, at least one who was the mother of a girl who was assaulted, who were wiping tears from their eyes as prosecutors spoke about the severity of the charges against him. The women declined to comment after court but were visibly emotional.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Moran said that although Park has no criminal history, “the allegations are extremely concerning in this particular matter.”

Park, Moran said, “lured young girls into his classroom with the promise of candy and hugs.”

Moran described some students taking alternate routes to classrooms during school and wearing their backpacks lower on their bodies to block their buttocks from being touched by Park.

“Frankly your honor, I think kids have enough reason to be afraid to go to school. I don’t think a teacher should be one of them,” Moran said.

The warrant outlines inappropriate sexual contact between Park and a dozen girls, referred to in court documents as Victims 1-12.

The victims, according to the warrant affidavit, included six 13-year-old girls, four 12-year-old girls and two 11-year-old girls.

The warrant affidavit for Park included information from interviews done with all 12 alleged victims, some of their parents, and a few teachers and school administrators.

In those interviews, the girls described encounters with Park during which he allegedly pulled them into hugs and moved his hand down to their buttocks, placing his hand or arms on their buttocks or thighs, the warrant affidavit said.

One student alleged that Park commented on the size of her butttocks, saying “your (expletive) is too big” when she wanted to wear a friend’s shorts. Another person said they remembered Park saying he was happy female athletes at the school were wearing shorts, and some girls alleged that Park made comments about them or their bodies looking “different” than when they were in fourth grade, according to the warrant affidavit.

One victim alleged that Park would give her compliments, say he loved her and told police that during multiple hugs, “Andrew would go over her and made sure that he touched her buttock,” the warrant affidavit said.

One girl told police that she and her friends would spend time in Park’s classroom and as they said goodbye to him, he would allegedly give them side hugs while sitting in a low chair and place his arms under their buttocks and on top of their thighs, according to the warrant affidavit.

Another alleged that he would kiss her on the forehead at school and basketball practice, refer to her as babe and once sent her a photo of girls that had a caption reading either “pretty girl” or “pretty baby.”

Police said in the warrant affidavit that Park was also a photographer and took yearbook photos for the school. Investigators allegedly located a photo collage in his classroom that only had photos of female students and multiple people reported that Park favored only female students, often buying certain children pizza — against school policy — or offering him his clothes and communicating with them outside of school.

Police reportedly reviewed 37 screenshots of text messages between Park and two students, counting about 10 times that Park allegedly invited students to come see him or meet him somewhere, according to the warrant affidavit. The warrant affidavit also described text messages to students from Park about wearing matching outfits on spirit days and a review of TikTok videos that allegedly showed Park hugging students.

Some of the girls interviewed by police said they tried to avoid hugging Park, but that the teacher would make comments including “no hug?” and “where’s my hug?” according to the warrant affidavit.

One girl told investigators that when she tried to avoid Park, he would allegedly text her and ask her things like “Why aren’t you talking to me” and ask her to come to his classroom in a text with a winking emoji, the warrant affidavit said.

According to the warrant affidavit, at least one student reported being pulled into a hug when she opted for a handshake, while another alleged that when she pulled away he gripped her buttocks tighter, police said.

Multiple students reported to their parents or other teachers that they felt uncomfortable with Park’s behavior, the warrant affidavit said.

On Monday, the judge maintained Park’s bond, which was set at $175,000, but ruled that the family could post 7% instead of 10% of that amount to bond him out.

Park will be on house arrest with GPS monitoring, but an exception was made to allow him to leave the home to drop his daughter off at daycare and pick her up each day, the court ruled.

His wife, Moran said, is also a teacher.

Other than the daycare pick up and drop off, the court ruled that Park is not allowed to have any contact with the alleged victims or with minors, including online.

Park was placed on leave from the school when allegations were made in February, according to the warrant affidavit.

During court proceedings, Park’s attorney said he is a lifelong Connecticut resident who has been employed by Stamford Public Schools for six years. He said he wanted the court to take note that his family and his wife’s family were standing by him.

“He’s just not a flight risk your honor,” Wescott said, asking for a lower bond that was denied.

Moran said she felt GPS monitoring was necessary for the public’s safety.

Wescott said in court that Park is expected to post bond. He declined to comment Monday.

Stamford Public School District did not respond to requests for comment by press time.