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Crime & Safety

Teacher Accused of Repeated Sexual Assaults of Boy in School

Nazareth Area Middle School teacher arraigned and jailed Friday on multiple charges for sexually assaulting a student.

NAZARETH, PA -- A Nazareth Area Middle School teacher is accused of repeated sexual assaults of a student over the course of more than two years, court records said.

The teacher, Shawn William Salevsky, 39, of Lower Macungie Township, was fired by the school district April 22. The incidents occurred between January 2011 and March 15 of this year, according to court records.

According to several websites, Salevsky is a graduate of DeSales University who formerly taught at Holy Family School, also in Nazareth, and Allen High School in Allentown. He also has performed with the Civic Theatre of Allentown.

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He was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail after being formally charged Friday afternoon before District Judge John Capobianco of Nazareth.

The alleged incidents between Salevsky and the boy took place in the following ways, according to the records:

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  • During school hours, when Salevsky would lock the drama room door, court records said. On one occasion, the teacher pulled down his own pants, had the boy lay on a table and began to unzip the boy’s pants, but the boy yelled and the teacher quickly left the drama room, court records said.
  • After school when the boy would help the teacher with upcoming plays, court records said.
  • During a bus trip the teacher and boy took to New York City to see a play, court records said. It’s not clear if just the two of them took the trip or if it was during a drama class trip.
  • While the boy was in a bathroom during a wardrobe change for the play “Snoopy,” court records said. Salevsky insisted on helping the boy change his costume, despite the boy’s insistence that he did not need help getting dressed, court records said. At one point, the boy “immediately retreated” to a bathroom stall after the teacher touched the boy’s genitals, court records said.

School district officials learned of the alleged incidents on March 11, when a friend of the boy told officials about a conversation the friend had with the victim on a school bus, the records say.

The boy was interviewed April 1 and April 18 by Upper Nazareth Township Officer William Cope and assistant district attorney Patricia Broscius, who handles sex-related cases in the DA’s office.

Salevsky, who lives at 1529 Kennington Lane in Lower Macungie, was fired April 22 by the Nazareth Area School Board. He was removed from the middle school before that, according to information from district superintendent Dennis Riker.

He faces numerous sex-related charges, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and corruption of minors.

On a website for the middle school drama class, Salevsky says: “My mission is to teach a love and respect for theatre as well as teaching kids self-confidence to use in the real world.”

A criminal complaint filed by Cope also says:

  • Cope was assigned to investigate the allegations on March 15. He learned from Riker that on March 11, a friend of the boy came to the school administration about a conversation the friend had with him on a school bus. The boy said Salevsky had touched him, the complaint said. The boy also said Salevsky would touch the boy’s thigh and then his genitals, the complaint said.
  • Cope and assistant DA Broscius interviewed the boy April 1 and April 18. The boy said “inappropriate touching” began with the teacher rubbing the boy’s back and over a period of time progressed to touching the boy’s chest, stomach, thighs and then genitals, the complaint said.
  • The boy said that on two occasions—once in the auditorium and another time in the drama room—the teacher pulled the boy’s head down to the teacher’s genitals, the complaint said.
  • The boy said Salevsky would have him report to the drama room during the school day. The teacher would lock the door and the two would be alone. The boy also said Salevsky would have him stay after school to help with upcoming plays.
  • The boy said the “majority of the inappropriate contact would happen during these times,” the complaint said. But it’s unclear if that refers to both the alleged school-day incidents and those after school.

Under a charge of corruption of minors, the complaint describes a scenario that occurred “on several occasions.”

In the drama room, Salevsky came up from behind and place his arm around the boy in a way that would not allow the boy to move, the complaint said. The teacher reached around the boy, touch the boy’s genitals, then undo the boy’s pants and touch the boy’s genitals, the complaint said.

A press release from Riker Friday afternoon stated that "several allegations of questionable behavior" were reported to the middle school administration.

On April 28, the superintendent recommended to the school board that Salevsky be terminated based on the allegations. The recommendation was unanimously approved.

Riker said the school district has been working with Upper Nazareth Police, ChildLine Services and the state Department of Education.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Upper Nazareth Police at 610-759-7448 or the Nazareth School District superintendent's office at 610-759-1170, ext. 1111.

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