A student who had sex with his teacher at Brooklyn’s infamous Horndog High has been awarded $750,000 in damages.
Erin Sayar, 41, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 10 years probation, stripped of her teaching license and designated a Level 1 sex offender after took a plea deal for multiple charges of statutory rape and sex abuse over her affair with then-16-year-old Kevin Eng.
The student’s mom Maureen sued Sayar and school officials for $10 million citing the teen’s emotional distress. She lost her suit against the city last year, but her lawyers continued the case against the teacher.
Erin Sayar, 41, (left and right, outside court in 2012) has been ordered to pay $750,000 in damages after an affair with her student
Lawyer Bruce Baron told the New York Post that Sayar ignored their civil motions for years, and didn’t respond to any legal letters.
So last week, a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge ordered a judgment against Sayar in her absence; $750,000 in punitive damages for Eng.
‘This verdict along with the punitive damages awarded by the judge sends a strong message that teachers across New York state should take their position of authority very seriously,’ Baron said.
He is now looking through Sayar’s financial records to reveal any money or financial holdings she may have to recover the damages.
Erin Sayar, 41, (left, outside court in 2012) whose husband Jimmy Lathrop (right in 2012, outside court) divorced her after the affair came to light
Sayar, whose husband divorced her after her affair with the student came to light, claimed she had no knowledge of the court ruling.
The former teacher, who suffered cancer during her trial also told The Post that she was now healthy.
Eng and his mother declined to comment Tuesday through their lawyer.
Heavily-tattooed Sayar was an English teacher at James Madison High School – nicknamed Horndog High.
The Brooklyn high school got its nickname in 2009 when two of Sayar’s fellow female teachers were caught in a naked embrace in a classroom, according to the New York Daily News. Another female teacher was accused of seducing a male student.
Sayar was arrested in May 2012 and charged with 50 counts of statutory rape and sexual abuse.
Sayar was an English teacher at James Madison High School (pictured) – nicknamed Horndog High. The Brooklyn high school got its nickname in 2009 when two of Sayar’s fellow female teachers were caught in a naked embrace in a classroom
Authorities said that she had both oral sex and intercourse with the teen at least eight times in her SUV and in her office at the school.
She is also said to have plied the teen with marijuana which she kept hidden in her filing cabinet. The mother-of-one was supposed to be tutoring the footballer in her office while his teammates were using the weight room next door.
The school found out about the alleged sexual relationship when Kevin’s girlfriend became suspicious last November.
After hacking Eng’s Facebook account, the girl found messages he had sent to Sayar which read, ‘I love you so much’ and ‘I always loved you, since last year’.
Sayar replied: ‘Oh no — I’m not putting myself out there again. I made that mistake last night and you couldn’t handle it.’
Despite this, the teacher gave the boy her mobile number and ordered him to delete their conversations.
Sayar (pictured on Facebook in 2012) claimed she had no knowledge of the new court ruling
The couple also exchanged 3,856 text messages during a span of 17 days.
Devastated, the girl informed school officials of the pair’s exchanges, and confronted her boyfriend.
According to the school’s report, Eng admitted having oral sex and intercourse with Sayar between eight to 12 times.
One midnight tryst apparently saw Sayar pick the boy up from his house in her car.
‘Eventually, they began kissing and then engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sex inside the SUV,’ the report said, adding that the boy had described tattoos on intimate parts of Sayar’s body.
Sayar’s husband filed for divorce in 2013.