VOORHEESVILLE — John Krajewski was arrested Monday night, by the State Police for raping a 14-year-old girl. That same evening, he was fired from the Voorheesville School District for not having proper certification as a teaching assistant; he had also been the ninth-grade boys’ basketball coach.

The rape victim’s father spoke out to The Enterprise this week: "He’s charged, thankfully," he said.
"It’s just horrible," he said of what happened to his daughter.
Krajewski "became a friend and then he betrayed us," the father said.

Krajewski had coached the 14-year-old girl in St. Matthew’s Catholic Youth Organization basketball league last winter, when she was in eighth grade, and babysat for the family over the summer; there is a younger child in the household.

The Enterprise is withholding the victim’s name.
"We’re sick to our stomach over it," her father said. "It’s just horrible," he said again. He said, he was sick in bed over the matter and on medication, "I don’t want to believe," he said.

He was told by police not to talk to the press, but all he heard so far is what a great guy Krajewski is, the father said.
"I want to see him in jail for at least 25 years," the father said — then, he said he may be somewhat happy.

Krajewski, 25, of Quail Street in Albany, is charged with three counts of second-degree rape, a felony; three counts of a second-degree criminal sexual act, also a felony; two counts of third-degree sexual abuse; and one count of endangering the welfare of a child — misdemeanors.

The three counts of rape, mean that he is being charged with three separate incidents in which he had sex with a minor, said Trooper Maureen Tuffy, a spokesperson for the State Police. A criminal sexual act is a charge relating to sexual touching, she said. The charge for endangering a child is because the victim’s welfare was endangered by having sex with her, Tuffy said.

No physical force was used in the rapes, Tuffy said. The charges are the result of statutory rape, since the girl was underage.

One rape happened at Krajewski’s residence in Albany, police said; the other charges occured in the town of New Scotland.

Krajewski was arraigned in New Scotland Town Court before Judge Margaret Adkins and was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

Krajewski’s arrest came five days after the investigation into his relationship with the victim was re-opened.

There had been an initial investigation after a complaint was made in October, but not enough evidence was found at the time, New Scotland investigator Matthew Zell told The Enterprise last week.

Another party came forward last Wednesday and new information from the Voorheesville School District led to the need for further investigation, Zell had told The Enterprise.

Zell this week said that he was the officer that arrested Krajewski on Monday and appeared at his arraignment, but was not authorized to answer any questions. Tuffy said that the State Police decided not to answer any further questions, so as to not feed into the rumors.

Judge Adkins declined to release any documents from the arraignment.

Krajewski did not return calls this week or last from The Enterprise .

Krajewski had been a Voorheesville Elementary School teaching assistant since August of 2004. Last school year, he was placed in a fourth grade class and this year was in a fifth grade class. This was his first year as the freshman boys’ basketball coach at Clayton A. Bouton High School.

On Monday evening, the school board fired Krajewski from both posts.

The 14-year-old victim is a ninth-grader at Voorheesville’s high school.

Krajewski was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 29 during the students’ winter break, Superintendent Linda Langevin said, because she became aware of written evidence against him. Krajewski has not been to work since the new year, but had been receiving pay.

Superintendent Linda Langevin said that she had filed with the state under a procedure that not only removes an individual from a particular school but also takes away his teaching license. The procedure can be used when a teacher’s moral conduct is in question, and is usually carried out when there are criminal charges. When Langevin filed with the state, a state licenser informed her on Monday that Krajewski did not have certification.

The school board was able to fire Krajewski on Monday evening because he did not have the proper credentials.

When he was hired, Krajewski was told that he would have to apply for the certification, but he never submitted the application as the district had believed, Langevin said. He had passed the teaching-assistant test and completed all the required education, she said.

School board member Kevin Kroencke pointed Tuesday at a press conference held by the state comptroller on a Voorheesville audit (see related story) that had Krajewski sent in the application and paid $50 he would have been certified.
Langevin said she has now gone through 70 percent of the district employee’s files to make sure all the teachers’ licenses are proper. "I totally believe this is an anomaly," Langevin said at the press conferance.

The response

On Tuesday morning, after Krajewski had been arrested the night before, the school’s emergency response team met with the elementary-school faculty, Langevin said, and an assembly was held for fourth- and fifth- grade children, where they were assured that they were safe, and the judicial process was explained to them.

Kathy Fiero, a teacher at the elementary school, who is also president of the teacher’s-union, said that the children have been handling Krajewski’s arrest pretty well, since it was not the first time they the heard about the ongoing story. The Enterprise broke the story in the media last week. She said she thinks the fourth- and fifth- graders have been able to comprehend what’s going on.
Among the staff, she said, there is "profound sadness," something they are feeling a lot this week.
"He was one of our own," Fiero said. Krajewski grew up in Voorheesville and went through the Voorheesville school system before becoming a teaching assistant.

She said she feels empathy for both families involved — the 14-year-old girl’s and Krajewski’s.

Lisa Myers’ fifth- grade son was in Krajewski’s classroom this year.
"He loves Johnny K," she said. "It is very confusing for him, for the older kids, too."

Her son played basketball with Krajewski during recess and really liked him, she said.

It’s sad and hard, Myers said. Voorheesville is a small community where a lot of people know both of the families. Myers said she wishes the young girl the best.

Myers said she believes the elementary school principal, Kenneth Lein, has been handling the situation at the elmentary school the best he can. Counselors came in last week and met with the students to counsel them, Myers said, and the students where apprised of the situation right after the Christmas break as well.

School board President Joseph Pofit said that the crisis counseling team was made available to those who needed it and an informational letter to parents was sent out in the mail.