Last year the West Hempstead school district sent a letter to parents informing the community about alleged abuse that occurred at the hands of a former employee. Now, that employee is facing criminal charges.
John O’Dwyer, 36, of North Massapequa, was arrested on Jan. 14 and was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead the following day. He pleaded not guilty to charges of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the welfare of a child.
Judge Maria Boultadakis, of the Second District court, released O’Dwyer on his own recognizance. She ordered two orders of protection.
O’Dwyer is accused of hitting a 7-year-old student on the head with a closed first several times between January and June in 2024, when the student provided wrong answers in class.
He is also alleged to have harmed a 10-year-old disabled child while working for Family of Kidz, a behavioral and mental health service for adolescents. O’Dwyer was assisting a severely autistic, non-verbal child unable to care for himself at the child’s home in New Hyde Park on Oct. 28, 2024 when the incident occurred.
The child had a history of self-harm and struck himself multiple times above his left eye resulting in a large contusion. According to the complaint, the O’Dwyer and the child were sitting at the kitchen table when “unprovoked, defendant leaned over and pressed juvenile victim’s injury” with enough force to cause the child to “pull back and yell out in pain” before O’Dwyer stomped on his feet.
The former special education teacher at Cornwell Avenue Elementary School is the defendant in a lawsuit filed in October on behalf of 11 families representing 13 children with special needs. Nathan Werksman, a partner at Merson Law, is representing the families. A notice of claim filed in April 2025 accuse O’Dwyer of “bullying, assault, battery, harassment, intimidation, disability discrimination, pain and tormenting” the children.
“My clients are pleased that the Nassau County police and district attorney have initiated criminal proceedings and look forward to getting to the bottom of how this horrible abuse was overlooked for so long,” Werksman said. “The criminal proceeding is an important step for getting justice for what happened and making sure this doesn’t happen to any other kids.”
In April, West Hempstead Union Free School District Superintendent Daniel Rehman responded in a written statement, “The district is aware of these allegations and has taken all appropriate steps in reporting the claims to the necessary agencies.”
The lawsuit alleges the West Hempstead school district was aware of O’Dwyer’s behavior and allowed him to continue working.
O’Dwyer began teaching in West Hempstead during the 2019-2020 school year until his employment ended in 2024. He could not be reached for comment. O’Dwyer received a degree in childhood education from SUNY Old Westbury and spent time teaching at Howard B. Mattlin Middle School in Plainview and P.S. 186 Dr. Irving Gladstone Elementary School in Brooklyn.
He is due back in court on Feb. 3 for indictment control and to retain counsel.
