Teacher Accused Of Kissing Student Returned To Westchester HS After Retirement Announcement

A former teacher accused of taking a student behind a high school auditorium curtain in Westchester and kissing them returned to the district in a partial capacity for a year after announcing his retirement, officials said.

Hartsdale resident Michael Rubino, who taught music with Hastings Public Schools for over 20 years, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 11 on charges connected to his alleged unwanted touching and kissing of an underage student at Hastings High School, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

• Earlier Report - Former Teacher Accused Of Touching, Kissing Student At Hastings High School

According to Hastings Superintendent William McKersie, Rubino originally announced his retirement in late June 2023.

However, the 63-year-old Rubino came back to the district in a partial capacity during the 2023-2024 school year before fully retiring on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

During this final year with the district, at around 10:15 a.m. on Monday, June 10, Rubino allegedly took the student to the school auditorium and pulled them behind the curtains before hugging and kissing them without their consent.

Additionally, after allegedly rubbing the student's back and kissing their cheek and neck, he then tried kissing them on the lips, the DA's Office said.

After the student reported the incident to administrators, Rubino was put on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation. He then officially left the district as per his retirement in late June.

According to an article from January 2024 in the Hastings High School student newspaper The Buzzer , Rubino decided to come back in a partial capacity for a year to make his transition to retirement easier.

Rubino said at the time that "working full time would have been tough, and not working at all would have been tough," according to the newspaper, which also called him a "beloved" teacher.

A note below this article now reads: "In light of the current legal issues, we feel it important to point out that the sentiments in this article were written prior to allegations made against the teacher."

Following his arrest, Rubino was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree sexual abuse, and second-degree harassment. He again appeared in court on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

In a letter to the Hastings Union Free School District community on Wednesday, Sept. 11 , McKersie said that the district "responded to the alleged incident immediately and has been working with the student and family to be of support."

"I want to repeat that the welfare and safety of our students is our highest priority, and that we acted within minutes of this alleged situation to ensure all students were safe," McKersie wrote, also adding that the district is fully cooperating with law enforcement.

Rubino's salary during the 2022 school year was $147,044, according to public records.

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.