Queens Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Students Agrees To Make Plea Deal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Emotions ran high among parents at school in Queens as a teacher accused of having sex with students worked out a deal for a dramatically shorter sentence.
Queens teacher Joy Morsi, who faced multiple counts of raping a male teenage student and sexually abusing another teenage boy, agreed to make a plea deal with prosecutors.
As CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported, she pleaded guilty to one count of rape in the third degree and one count of criminal sexual act in the third degree and left the court without comment.
Last June, Morsi, 40, a physical education teacher at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, was charged with 20 counts of rape in the third degree and 20 counts of criminal sexual act in the third degree.
Prosecutors say the acts with a 16-year-old student happened over a seven-week period at the school in 2013.
The next day, Morsi was arrested again after being accused of exposing herself and performing a sexual act with another 16-year-old boy.
If convicted of all charges in both cases, Morsi faced a potential eight years in jail, Rapoport reported.
By pleading to fewer counts, Morsi agrees to continue treatment in a mental health program, which she has been attending since July. If she successfully completes the program, her sentence will be 10 years of probation.
The vice principal of the high school where Morsi taught was tight-lipped, but for parents at the school it is a hot button issue.
"I think she's getting away with murder," parent Pedro Torres said.
"This is a topic that I'm really afraid to talk about. I don't want to hurt any sides," Afifah Shah said.
As part of her plea, Morsi signed an agreement to surrender her certificate to teach in the state of New York and will have to register as a sex offender after her treatment is completed.