Police arrested a health teacher from a tony Manhattan prep school today for allegedly having sex with a drunk 16-year-old in the bathroom of Lit Lounge in the East Village. According to the Daily News, David Azurmendi, 34, had taught for the last three years at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, where New York's elite pay as much as $43,000 a year for their kids' educations, and was set to start a new job at The Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, a $72,000-a-year boarding school.
The News reports that the encounter took place after Azurmendi got off work on June 19th, his last day on the job:
Azurmendi allegedly crossed the line after the victim invited him to meet her and some friends at the Lit Lounge, an artsy hot spot on Second Ave., sources said.
The teenager admitted she had been drinking before she joined Azurmendi in the bathroom, they said.
The illegal alleged rendezvous might have remained their secret if the teen didn’t blab about it to a male friend, sources said. He, in turn, told the principal who sicced the cops on Azurmendi.
The Post reports that Azurmendi confessed after being arrested at his Summit, New Jersey home, but insisted the sex was consensual. A letter of recommendation written for him by the principal at an Atlanta, Georgia elementary school where he worked describes him as having "an excellent rapport with students."
Azurmendi is charged with rape, statutory rape, sexual abuse, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. His arraignment is expected today.
