Riverhead School District releases updated statement related to principal

One day after a Riverhead High School senior accused principal Charles Regan of sexual misconduct, the district has released an updated statement.

The following statement from Superintendent Aurelia Henriquez was posted on the district website Tuesday:

“As a school community, we value the safety of our students and are extremely disappointed to learn of the allegations made against Riverhead High School Principal Charles Regan. Please know that aggressive steps were immediately taken from the time we were made aware of these complaints last week, beginning with our first step, which was to reassign Dr. Regan to home. Since Dr. Regan is a tenured employee, the district does not have the right to unilaterally suspend him or terminate his services without the opportunity for a full due process hearing.

Additionally, in accordance with legal mandates, the district completed the necessary child abuse forms, reported the information to the Riverhead Police Department, and a complaint was filed with the unit of the New York State Education Department that addresses allegations of moral turpitude. In short, the district promptly reported the allegations to all appropriate authorities. He has been directed not to be on school property pending the outcome of the investigation.

While Dr. Regan’s hiring predates our current administration, fingerprinting was conducted prior to his hiring. The district is legally obligated to conduct an investigation, and as this is a matter of personnel, we are limited in sharing specific details, but please be advised that the district takes this matter seriously and will continue to keep our students’ safety a top priority.”