Shelton police charged a former high school math teacher with disorderly conduct in connection with a dinner he had with a student last April.
In a prepared statement police said George Perduta, 57, of Kensington, surrendered to police Tuesday and was released after posting a $500 bond. He is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in Derby Sept. 22.
Police said that in April, a 17-year-old girl who was a student at Shelton High School “reported that she went out to dinner with George Perduta.”
At the time, Perduta was a math teacher at the school. He also served on the Board of Education in Berlin.
“The victim alleged that Perduta asked about their relationship status during dinner which made her uncomfortable,” the police statement said. “The victim reported that after dinner Perduta went to kiss her on the lips, but she moved her head down and he kissed her on the forehead.”
Board of Education Chairman Mark Holden said Wednesday that Perduta no longer works at the school district.
He referred specific questions to Superintendent Freeman Burr, saying that while the school board was aware of “an issue” with Perduta, its members were not given extensive information in the event they needed to take action in the matter.
“The board is kept somewhat in the dark about some details so that if we need to review a matter and take an action, it’s an untainted pool,” Holden said.
“This was a matter that was clearly being handled,” Holden added.
Burr said in an email that Perduta resigned last year.
“Mr. Perduta was placed on a leave of absence in April of 2015 pending an investigation and resigned in May of 2015 while still under investigation,” Burr wrote.
Perduta was earning a salary of about $80,000 at the time, Burr said.
He was appointed in August 2009, according to meeting minutes, and had been tenured as a teacher at the school in August 2013.
He had taught previously in Hartford, Colchester, Bristol and Avon.
Disorderly conduct is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine.
The Valley Indy left a message at a publicly listed telephone number for Perduta Wednesday morning, and filed a Freedom of Information request with the school district seeking access to Perduta’s personnel file.
Perduta had also served on the Berlin Board of Education, but resigned last April, according to the New Britain Herald.
The paper reported school officials saying Perduta had “family demands” that made it unable to continue serving. He was elected to the Berlin school board with more than 3,000 votes in November 2014.
Online court info shows his wife initiated divorce proceedings Aug. 25.
