Valley Stream North High School staffer Scott Chung, accused of stalking student, has been fired
Valley Stream North High School Credit: Howard Schnapp
A Valley Stream North High School staffer accused of stalking a student in school was fired by the district Tuesday night, a district spokesperson confirmed.
Scott Chung, 59, who is identified in school board documents as a teaching assistant, was found guilty of disciplinary charges brought by the district under the state education law referred to as 3020-A, according to a board resolution read aloud at Tuesday's meeting. The nature of the allegations was not disclosed.
Board members voted to terminate the New Hyde Park resident, who was tenured, after he waived his rights to a hearing by failing to request one within 10 days of being notified of the charges.
"Now, therefore, be it resolved the Board of Education finds the employee guilty of the Education Law Section 3020A charges, and be it further resolved the Board of Education hereby resolves to terminate the employment of the employee effective Nov. 3, 2026," said Dina Innella, the district clerk.
Chung’s attorney, Steven Gaitman, of Garden City, said he was not aware of his client’s employment status but will be defending him in criminal court.
"We believe this has been quite a misunderstanding," Gaitman said in a brief phone call Wednesday. "We're awaiting a discovery and review with the district attorney's office."
Chung is accused of seeking out a 17-year-old student this year and asking her probing questions that have "negatively" impacted her mental health, according to court papers. On Sept. 14, he approached her in the school library during her free period and asked her a series of "alarming" questions, court documents stated.
According to the criminal complaint, Chung allegedly approached the student on three other occasions, leaving the student feeling uneasy. One time, he showed up at her gym class and stared at her, according to the complaint.
Since the start of the 2026-27 school year, court documents stated, "Defendant has gone out of his way to seek out Victim almost 2-3 times a day engaging in uncomfortable conversations."
Chung has been charged with fourth-degree misdemeanor stalking, to which he earlier pleaded not guilty in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead.
Wayne Loper, superintendent of the Valley Stream Central High School District, previously said in a statement that the district took action upon hearing of the allegations.
"While the District does not comment on individual personnel matters, in situations like this, the District would place an employee alleged to have engaged in such misconduct on paid suspension, remove them from the workplace, and notify law enforcement," Loper said. "After learning of the allegations, the District promptly took steps to protect student safety in this manner."
He added that school officials were cooperating with law enforcement and conducting their own investigation to find out whether other students were impacted.
District officials did not comment on Chung's termination Wednesday.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
