Report finds New York teacher’s aide had sexual relationship with 17‑year‑old student

Ocean Valentine began the inappropriate relationship by messaging with the student on Instagram. Photo / The New York Post.

A teacher’s aide at a New York high school has been dismissed after an investigation uncovered her inappropriate relationship with a student.

Ocean Valentine, 22, was suspected of having a sexual relationship with a male student after a classmate saw the messages she had sent him, the New York Post reports.

School employees heard the boy’s classmate mention staff “having sex with students” and pressed the girl for details.

She told school staff she had seen texts from Valentine on the student’s phone - including a photo of a hotel receipt.

A Special Commissioner of Investigation report detailed the inappropriate relationship after a probe into Valentine’s conduct.

Valentine first approached the 17-year-old at Urban Assembly Early College High School of Emergency Medicine in May 2022.

The student found her Instagram after she told him she was “active” on the platform.

Valentine and the student soon moved to text messaging, their relationship evolving into a sexual one by June of that year, according to the Daily Mail.

The pair would leave school during lunch times to perform sexual acts at the student’s apartment, and on one instance had sex at a local pool hall while celebrating his 18th birthday.

Phone records confirmed a total of 34 calls exchanged between the two, including 12 outside of school hours.

The SCI report recommended the Department of Education (DOE) amend its social media policy to forbid educators from communicating with students from their personal accounts and devices.

But in a statement to the New York Post, the DOE said the policy already prohibits school employees from messaging students.

“NYC Public Schools’ social media policy makes clear that staff should not communicate with currently enrolled students on their personal social media sites,” the statement said.

“We take these standards seriously, and we expect all employees to uphold the highest level of professionalism in their interactions with students.”

The DOE said the “safety and wellbeing” of students is the agency’s “highest priority”.

Valentine was dismissed for the misconduct after initially being suspended without pay.

A second employee at the school is reportedly being investigated for having a sexual relationship with a female student.

The student is alleging the male teacher also stole $5000 from her.