A teacher at the exclusive Upper East Side Nightingale-Bamford School, which inspired the Gossip Girl series, was removed from the classroom amid affair allegations by a former student. Jonathan Fuller, 55, was ejected from his classroom just two days after the start of the new academic year, according to the Daily Mail . The popular educator’s ejection reportedly came as a shock to both the students and their parents.
Tuition at the all-girls private academy is $40,000 per year, the New York Post reports. The offspring of both the Bronfman and Tisch families, as well as the children of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, attended Nightingale-Bamford.
The facility’s new head master, Paul Burke, had this to say in a letter sent to parents:
“I am sorry to have to tell you that this morning I suspended an Upper School faculty member in light of reports received over the past two days that, if true, describe behavior that is not only inappropriate, but also completely inconsistent with our rules and values.”
An investigation into the allegations levied against the psychology and science teacher is ongoing. Determining if the accuser was underage when the alleged relationship began is reportedly a top priority for the independent investigator. The young woman claiming to have had an affair with Fuller is believed to now be either 18 or 19 years old. A search for more potential victims will also occur during the Nightingale-Bamford teacher probe.
Jonathan Fuller’s class schedule and syllabus have been removed from the posh educational facility’s website. He is a 15-year educational veteran and formerly served as a dean of students at the Woodhall School in Connecticut. The teacher at the Gossip Girl inspiration academy was so well-liked by his students that fan pages on Facebook were created in his honor, according to the New York Post .