A former NYC public school teacher, Sandy Carazas-Pinez, was thrown behind bars by a federal judge after she was accused of sexually abusing a mentally ill student. The teacher is charged with engaging in multiple sexual acts with a 16-year-old student in her car, as well as producing child porn, making it one of the most horrific cases of abuse by a New York educator in recent history. The judge revoked Carazas-Pinez’s bail after finding that she repeatedly violated the strict conditions of her home confinement, concluding that she was a danger to the community.
Carazas-Pinez was arrested in July and released on bail with the condition that she could not have unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18. However, she later emailed another former student on his 18th birthday, which while not technically a violation, raised concerns about her behavior. Prosecutors pointed out that it was part of her grooming pattern for sexual abuse, which even her own lawyer acknowledged as troubling. The judge warned Carazas-Pinez to comply with the rules or face being locked up, but unfortunately, she continued to breach the conditions.
Despite the warnings from the judge, Carazas-Pinez was found to have violated the strict bail conditions multiple times, including going to a mall and restaurant during limited outings and lying about cashing a paycheck when she actually went to a restaurant and bar. She admitted to using the check-cashing request as a pretext after a dispute at her parents’ home, leading the judge to conclude that she had indeed lied. Due to these repeated violations and concerns about her behavior, Carazas-Pinez was sent to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The victim’s mother, who remains anonymous to protect her son’s privacy, expressed relief that Carazas-Pinez was behind bars and lacked access to children, especially her own. The teacher worked at the Biondi School, a city-funded school for children with special needs, where the 16-year-old victim was a student. After being fired by Rising Ground, the nonprofit that runs the Biondi School, in March 2023 due to being seen with the student in her car, it was revealed that Carazas-Pinez had previously taught at schools in Harlem and The Bronx.
In summary, the case of Sandy Carazas-Pinez highlights the severe consequences of sexually abusing a student, especially one who is vulnerable due to mental illness. The judge’s decision to revoke her bail and send her to jail was based on her repeated breaches of strict conditions and concerns about her behavior posing a danger to the community. The victim’s mother expressed relief that Carazas-Pinez was no longer able to access children, particularly her son. The case underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable students from predatory educators and the necessity for strict consequences for those who violate the trust placed in them.
