A yoga instructor was axed from a Manhattan school for repeatedly engaging in “inappropriate” behavior with a 6-year-old student, a bombshell investigation has revealed.
Demetrius Napolitano, 31, the founder and owner of Harlem-based nonprofit Fostering Meditation, was allegedly touchy with the young girl who attended PS 108 on Madison Avenue while he taught yoga classes there under a contract with the city Department of Education.
Napolitano allegedly repeatedly hugged the child and carried her around the school, raising alarm bells with teachers who reported the conduct, according to the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools.
When confronted, he allegedly downplayed concerns and dubbed himself a “father figure” to the girl, SCI said.
Since-retired principal William Gladstone also did a lazy job vetting Napolitano for the gig, failing to even fingerprint the instructor when he was hired in 2019, according to investigative findings reviewed by The Post.
The alleged creep was reported to SCI investigators on April 30, 2024, by the child’s foster mother, who saw some of the interactions, SCI said.
Weeks earlier, the foster mom had watched the girl jump into Napolitano’s arms, wrap her legs around him, and press her body into his, the watchdog found.
Teachers told the mom that the yogi had been showing the little girl more attention than the other kids, buying her gifts and food, letting her play on his phone, holding her hand in the hallway, and carrying her up the stairs, investigators said.
Napolitano, who was supposed to have a licensed DOE teacher with him at all times and was removed from the school during the investigation, denied that his actions were inappropriate, SCI noted.
A “problem code” has been added to Napolitano’s DOE file, the SCI said. But while the red flag can prevent him from getting another city DOE job, other districts or schools wouldn’t typically have access to it without a background check.
“Demetrius Napolitano’s inappropriate conduct with a student and former Principal William Gladstone’s failure to properly vet him demonstrate why these safeguards must be taken seriously,” Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman said in a news release.
The DOE, Napolitano, and Gladstone did not return messages seeking comment.
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