Taxpayers are on the hook for more than $540,000 a year in salaries for six rubber-room teachers who have been legally cleared to return to class — but will never go back because the schools chancellor believes they’re too dangerous.
All six public-school teachers have been benched for years over alleged sexual misconduct.
Overall, the city Department of Education has put some 550 fully paid teachers in limbo, crammed into “rubber rooms” as they wait for their misconduct cases to be adjudicated, costing taxpayers $30 million a year.
But these six have either completed their punishments or had their cases dismissed — sometimes on technicalities — and remain on the payroll. The DOE says such tenured teachers are almost impossible to fire.
The Post recently exposed the misdeeds of two teachers exiled to rubber rooms “at the chancellor’s discretion.”
Typing teacher Alan Rosenfeld, 64, pulled in $100,049 a year while he practiced law and oversaw his $7 million in real-estate properties. A DOE arbitrator had suspended him for a week for lewdness, telling one eighth-grader, “You have a sexy body,”
Francisco Olivares, 60, rakes in $94,154 a year. He allegedly impregnated a 16-year-old he first met when she was 13 at IS 61 in Corona, Queens. He was also accused of molesting three girls. His criminal conviction was overturned on a technicality.
Joining them on the dishonor roll is computer teacher George Addison, 40, who makes $80,695 a year. He was accused of allegedly shoving his hand down the pants of a 15-year-old special-ed pupil in 2003. Years after his criminal case was dismissed, he still hasn’t picked up piece of chalk.
Music teacher Aryeh Eller, 43, first appeared on DOE radar in 1998 when a Hillcrest HS student complained about the way he hugged her and made suggestive comments. He told another pupil, “You have a nice ass.”
But officials failed to act, according to a report by then-Special Schools Investigator Ed Stancik, who called it a “missed opportunity to remove a problem teacher from the system.”
Eller returned to the classroom, only to be accused a year later of becoming infatuated with a student, telling her “she would make a good wife.”
He was exiled to the rubber room in 2003.
DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte said, “The department tried to terminate this teacher, but the arbitrator dismissed the case on a technicality. The chancellor was not willing to put him back in a classroom.”
Other members of the dirty half-dozen include guidance counselor Radharaman Upadhyaya, who collects $102,852 a year despite having served a three-day suspension for failing to report his arrest for alleged sexual abuse of a student at his home; and science instructor Wayne Miller, who pulls down $78,039 a year after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a child, sources said. His case was dismissed.
In detention
The following educators were legally cleared to return to the classroom after facing accusations of wrongdoing but remain idle in “rubber rooms” at the chancellor’s discretion, at a cost to taxpayers of millions.
ALAN ROSENFELD
Typing, IS 347, Queens
Got a wrist slap for making lewd comments. Since 2001, he has been overseeing a $7.8 million real-estate portfolio and his law practice in the rubber room.
Salary: $100,049
RADHARAMAN UPADHYAYA
Guidance counselor, Long Island City HS, Queens
Served a three-day suspension after he was accused of fondling a learning-disabled student at his home. A witness was found not credible. In a rubber room since 2003.
Salary: $102,852
ARYEH ELLER
Music, Hillcrest HS, Queens, Admitted making lewd comments, but an arbitrator said he was not informed of his rights. In a rubber room since 2003.
Salary: $85,426
WAYNE MILLER
Biology, Jamaica HS, Queens, In a rubber room since 2002, he was accused of sexually assaulting a child, but the alleged victim recanted the allegation, sources said.
Salary: $78,039
FRANCISCO OLIVARES
Math, IS 61, Queens, Allegedly impregnated and married a 16-year-old student. He allegedly sexually molested two 12-year-old pupils a decade later. In a rubber room since 2003.
Salary: $94,145