Aug. 22, 2023 By Bill Parry
A teacher at a Woodhaven school was arrested Monday, Aug. 21, and charged with raping a 15-year-old girl, according to authorities.
Jamall Russell, 29, turned himself in at the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood, where he was booked on rape and other charges for having an ongoing relationship with an underage girl after her mother reported the relationship to the NYPD.
Russell is an employee of the city Department of Education and is assigned to P.S. 97Q – the Forest Park School, located at 82-52 85th St. in Woodhaven. The victim reportedly attends a different Queens school and Russell and the student began their relationship when she was just 14 years old, police said.
“This alleged behavior is very troubling and completely unacceptable,” DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said in a statement to QNS. “This employee is suspended pending the outcome of the arrest and if convicted, we will pursue their termination. There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our students.”
Russell was charged with rape, sexual abuse, criminal sex act and acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 years old, according to the NYPD. His arraignment at Queens Criminal Court is pending.