A Brooklyn teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegedly forcing a 12-year-old girl into a tight hug and making sexual comments.
Emil Agaronov, 41, allegedly approached the pre-teen around 10 a.m. On July 28 inside Andries Hudde I.S. 240 on Nostrand Avenue near Avenue K in East Midwood, according to a criminal complaint. The school is a public intermediate school serving grades six through eight in the East Midwood section of Brooklyn.
The girl was reluctant, but Agaronov hugged her so tightly she felt his breast touch her chest and his belt buckle press against her stomach, the court document said. He then allegedly questioned whether she knew what “Papi” meant, bragged that he liked Latin women, claimed he wanted a Latin wife, and asked her if she would spend the night with him, the filing stated.
He was arrested Wednesday night and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, authorities said. The charges were not bail-eligible, and Agaronov was released on his own recognizance in court Thursday night, over prosecutors’ request for supervised release.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Education said the system “takes these heinous allegations seriously.”
“This individual was immediately reassigned away from students, and if the claims are substantiated, we will pursue termination,” a spokesperson said.
The NYPD released Agaronov’s photo in a plea for any other potential victims to come forward. Detectives are encouraging anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s Sex Crimes Hotline at 1-212-267-7273 or 1-646-610-7272. Tips can also be submitted to the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or, for Spanish speakers, at 1-888-57-PISTA.
The public can additionally submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or through the department’s X account at @NYPDTips.
Agaronov’s alleged conduct inside the school building during school hours has raised questions about student safety protocols. The incident reportedly occurred around 10 a.m., during regular instructional time at the intermediate school.
The case now moves through the criminal court system as investigators work to determine whether additional students may have experienced similar encounters with the teacher.
In the viral moment that sparked the criminal case, Agaronov allegedly targeted a 12-year-old girl inside the school where he worked, using physical force to pull her into an unwanted embrace before making a series of sexually suggestive comments about his preferences for Latin women and his desire for her to spend the night. The girl’s report of the encounter led to a police investigation and the teacher’s arrest within days of the incident.
Agaronov is due back in Brooklyn criminal court on the charges.