A 59-year-old teaching assistant at Valley Stream North High School has been charged with stalking after a 17-year-old student told authorities he repeatedly cornered her at school, questioning her about her drug use, her boyfriend and her work schedule. Scott Chung pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance, but he now faces a temporary order of protection and a return trip to court this coming Monday.
According to court documents cited by Newsday, the alleged conduct began after the start of the 2026-27 school year, with Chung seeking out the student almost two to three times a day for what prosecutors describe as uncomfortable conversations. On Sept. 14, he allegedly asked the teen whether she “drank and used drugs,” whether she “had a boyfriend and boyfriend's age,” and pressed her for details about her “place of work and schedule.” The student told investigators the encounters left her afraid Chung might be watching her or could show up at her home or job.
Court Appearance and a Lawyer's Defense
Chung pleaded not guilty to the fourth-degree misdemeanor stalking charge in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead on Oct. 3, the same outlet reports, and a judge issued the temporary order of protection against him at that time. The student said the repeated questioning had “negatively impacted” her mental well-being, according to the court filing.
Chung's attorney pushed back on the allegations, telling the paper, “We believe that the arrest was a product of a terrible misunderstanding,” and adding that the defense was still waiting on discovery in the case. Chung, who is tenured, is due back in court Monday, Oct. 26, per News 12 Long Island.
District Response and Ongoing Investigation
The Valley Stream Central High School district said that once it learned of the allegations, it placed Chung on paid suspension, removed him from the workplace and notified law enforcement — the standard protocol the district says it follows whenever an employee is accused of this kind of misconduct. School officials say they are now cooperating with investigators while also conducting their own internal review to determine whether other students were affected, though the district has not said what that review has found so far.
Dr. Wayne Loper, superintendent of the Valley Stream Central High School district, is named in board documents in connection with the case. The district has said the alleged behavior violates its standards for appropriate student-staff interactions and student safety, and it has encouraged anyone with information to come forward to administration.
A Pattern Seen Elsewhere on Long Island
Chung's case follows a separate stalking arrest on Long Island just weeks earlier. In early September, 53-year-old John Kennedy, an art teacher at Bay Shore High School, was arrested after an 18-year-old former student reported he had followed her from her house to a location in Selden, according to the Fire Island News. Investigators in that case said Kennedy had been in a sexual relationship with the woman while she was a senior at the school, and he was charged with fourth-degree stalking and scheduled for arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip.
Under New York law, fourth-degree stalking is classified as a class B misdemeanor, according to the statute published by the New York State Senate. Court appearance dates for pending cases like Chung's are tracked through the WebCrims system maintained by the New York State court system, which lists future hearings for criminal cases across selected courts.
No further details about the outcome of Monday's hearing have been released, and the district has not said whether its internal investigation has uncovered additional students affected by the alleged conduct.
