A former Rochester, Massachusetts, teacher is being accused of multiple sexual offenses, including the rape of a high school student. Andre Arsenault, a once-employed culinary arts teacher at Old Colony Regional Vocational High School, faces serious allegations as detailed in police reports and court documents.
Despite pleading not guilty to charges of rape and indecent assault and battery, the ex-teacher is to have allegedly made a practice of targeting young students. Per the complaint, Arsenault is accused of engaging in a pattern of behavior known as "grooming," starting when the student was only 14. As WCVB reported, by the time she was a senior, the student claimed that Arsenault was groping her "almost every day at school" and she was raped during her senior year.
Details from the police report, as obtained by Boston.com, recount how the former teacher began to strike up personal conversations and offer small gifts, maneuvering towards a relationship under the guise of mentorship and support. The victim also reported suffering anxiety attacks and being diagnosed with an eating disorder, which Arsenault responded to by volunteering to cook for her during class. Tactics escalated over time, leading to private meetings and eventually coerced sexual encounters.
A second former student came forward after the first victim's allegations were made public. She shared with police her past 'relationship' with Arsenault, not characterized by abuse but marked by consensual sexual liaisons that nonetheless compelled her to move far away post-graduation in an attempt to "escape" the pervasive influence of the teacher. The Old Colony school has yet to comment on the charges as Arsenault is already removed from the school’s staff directory. His court case continues to unfold as the legal process takes its course.
