Valley Central employee placed on leave after child sex arrest

Orange County parents now have a new school-safety question hanging over Valley Central: a district employee has been placed on administrative leave after a child sex arrest, and district leaders say they acted as soon as they learned of it. Community sources identified the employee as Eric Guarnieri, 35, of Pine Bush, and said he worked as a janitor at Valley Central High School, a detail that is already sharpening concern about adult access around students.

Town of Montgomery police said Guarnieri was arrested June 18 after an investigation with the Orange County Child Abuse Unit. He was charged with criminal sex act in the third degree, a felony, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said the charge stems from an alleged sexual encounter involving a child under 17 that investigators say occurred in Montgomery on Nov. 1, 2019. Authorities said he was arraigned and remanded to the Orange County Jail on $10,000 cash bail.

Valley Central Superintendent Evette Avila said in a statement that the district became aware of the arrest and immediately placed the employee on administrative leave pending further review. The district said it is cooperating with the appropriate authorities and will continue to monitor the situation, while declining further comment because of the ongoing investigation and personnel matter. Avila has led the district since January 2023.

The case is likely to intensify scrutiny over the basics that parents expect a district to get right: who is hired, who is allowed near students, how complaints are logged, and how quickly allegations are reported outside the school system. If Guarnieri’s reported role at Valley Central High School is confirmed through the criminal case and district records, the central issue for families will not just be the arrest itself, but whether the district’s safeguards matched the risk posed by an employee working in a school environment.

Orange County’s Child Abuse Services Team, known as CAST, serves as the county’s children’s advocacy center and provides support and resources for children and families affected by abuse. Orange County Child Protective Services lists a 24-hour hotline at 714-940-1000 and 800-207-4464 for reports of child abuse.