Kyle Damato-Kushel, who worked as a paraprofessional at a Stratford, Connecticut, school, is accused of sexually assaulting a teen she knew since he was in seventh grade, police say. (Stratford Police)
A former aide at a Stratford, Connecticut, school is accused of sexually assaulting a teen she knew since he was in preschool, police say.
Kyle Damato-Kushel, a 45-year-old married mother of three daughters, was arraigned Monday, the Connecticut Post reports.
She was charged with second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, tampering with a witness and interfering with an officer, according to court records. She was released after posting $50,000 bail.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She Allegedly Began the Assault in 2013 in Her Husband’s Man Cave
Kyle Damato-Kushel is accused of sexually assaulting a teen for several years. (Facebook)
The victim told police the first assault occurred in 2013, when he was in the seventh grade. He told police he had sex with Kyle Damato-Kushel in her husband’s “man cave,” and later elsewhere in the house and around Stratford, the Connecticut Post reports.
The boy told detectives they had sex almost nightly at her Stratford home. He said he would enter through an unlocked window and leave at about 4:30 a.m., when her husband would wake up for work, according to WFSB-TV. The couple’s children were also in the home.
During one of those nights, Damato-Kushel’s husband heard sounds and called police, thinking it was a burglary. The boy was found by officers and began talking, telling them “the first time they had sexual contact was in the summer after 7th grade and Kyle performed oral sex on him in her basement,” according to court documents.
She is also accused of assaulting a friend of the 15-year-old victim.
2. The Victim Told His Therapist He ‘Cheated on His Girlfriend’ With Her Mother
(Facebook)
The teacher was previously investigated by the state Department of Children and Families after the boy told his therapist he had cheated on his girlfriend with her mother, WFSB reports.
According to court documents, there was no evidence found during that investigation. The case was re-opened in October when Damato-Kushel’s husband reported a burglary and the victim was found inside the house.
Both Kushel and the boy denied the allegations during the initial investigation.
3. Damato-Kushel Is Accused of Trying to Pay the Teen $500 to Stay Silent
(Facebook)
According to court documents, Damato-Kushel sent text messages to the victim offering him $900 if he would stay silent about the sexual assault. She told the victim to open an online bank account so that she could put money it it, according to court documents.
She was charged with tampering with a witness as a result, police said.
4. Police Say They Had Unprotected Sex & She Had a Miscarriage After Becoming Pregnant
(Facebook)
Damato-Kushel and the boy “always had unprotected sex and the victim said Kyle was pregnant by him once,” according to court documents. She had a miscarriage, the boy said.
Police said in court documents that they found Damato-Kushel’s DNA in the boy’s underwear.
5. She Was Fired From Her Job as a Paraprofessional at a Stratford Middle School
(Facebook)
Damato-Kushel was fired from her position as a paraprofessional at Wooster Middle School in November as a result of the police investigation, the school district said.
She was not the boy’s teacher. She began working in the school district in 2006.
“The moment that it was brought to our attention that Damato-Kushel was being investigated for inappropriate behavior with a student, (even though the events took place off of school grounds), she was immediately placed on administrative leave,” Stratford Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson said in a statement. “Once we received the DCF report on November 9th, 2015 that substantiated the allegations, she was terminated.We will not tolerate this type of behavior, regardless of where it happens. Our responsibility is to protect and educate our students. I am thankful to the Stratford Police Department for bringing this disturbing case to a swift resolution.”
