Ex-Nanuet Principal Vincent Carella: Rape allegation is 'an outrageous, slanderous lie'

Nanuet High School's former principal called the rape and sexual harassment allegations that led to his reassignment an "outrageous, slanderous lie."

Vincent Carella, who was removed Oct. 27 by the school board from the position he's held for 18 years, on Tuesday strenuously denied the charges contained in a teacher's $1 million notice of claim against the district.

A notice of claim warns a municipal entity that a lawsuit will be filed; to date the teacher has not done so.

Carella, 64, flanked by his wife, Dianne Carella, and his lawyer Michael Starvaggi, said during an hourlong interview with The Journal News that the teacher's claims "have caused immeasurable damage to my family and my reputation."

"The allegations in this notice are sheer lies propounded by this teacher in the hope of a large monetary settlement," he said in a statement.

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The longtime educator said he and his accuser — who was also married — had a short, consensual affair in 2004 and subsequently maintained a professional relationship, contradicting her accusations that he harassed her for years.

Carella also said they didn't have sex on school property or during the school day, and insisted he didn't retaliate against her for rebuffing his advances.

Carella strongly denied her charge that he had raped her in a hotel in 2004, an incident after which she "left the hotel crying and felt spiritually broken," according to papers dated Oct. 26

He said they had several rendezvous but they occurred at places, times and circumstances that were mutually agreed upon.

"Our reasons for going were clearly stated," he said. "For her to claim anything other than that is completely untrue."

The 50-year-old teacher alleges Carella harassed her repeatedly beginning around 2003, requesting sexual favors and attempting to have sex with her on school property. The Journal News is withholding the woman's name because of the nature of the allegations.

Her lawyer, Karen Zdanis, said her client "stands by everything in the notice of claim as true. Nothing was said in haste."

Zdanis added: "He's making long statements to the press and I don't feel it's appropriate to respond to everything in this forum. We're just standing by the notice of claim. It was true then and it's true now."

The teacher claimed Carella sought sex in return for giving her preferential treatment, and said she was appointed department chair in 2013 upon his recommendation, but subsequently lost the position after insisting he stop harassing her, according to documents.

But Carella said she lost the department chair for "professional reasons" and said the decision to eventually transfer her to the middle school was done by other administrators and was based on merit alone.

Conversely, he and his lawyer said the woman offered to trade sex to advance her career and threatened to expose their affair if she didn't get what she wanted.

"Clearly I made a lack in judgment when I entered into an affair with (the teacher) in 2004," he said. "But it's paramount for you (to) know that this affair was absolutely, totally, 100 percent consensual."

Carella continued: "For her to allege that I had raped her is an outrageous, slanderous lie. I never forced myself upon her and for her to equate herself with women who are truly victims of sexual crimes is equally outrageous. She was not raped or taken advantage of."

He accused the teacher of "trying to have tremendous financial gain by suing the district for millions of dollars."

"If she's such a truthful person," he said, "how could she allow me to be running a school with 700 students, 100 adults, and not come forward to authorities, and not to tell someone, we have a felon running the school."

After the affair ended, Carella said his relationship with the teacher was "cordial and professional" and he said she tried to continue being part of his personal life. This included asking to be part of his daughter's bridal shower and his son's wedding, which Carella refused.

"She asked my wife and me repeatedly if I would be godfather to her child," he said. "No."

Internal investigation

According to a statement from the school district about its internal investigation: "Carella's own admissions and other evidence about the events that took place in Nanuet High School during the school day throughout his sexual affair with the teacher were very concerning. It was those actions that resulted in his removal as principal and reassignment to a new position."

Carella insisted he did not have sex with the teacher on school grounds.

"I'm not going to say anything to counter the district's findings," he said. "But I will say that there were consensual, nonsexual yet intimate times that we shared at school, none of which relate anything near to sexual harassment and certainly not rape. ... They did not interfere ... with my ability to run the school," he said.

Carella would not comment on his reassignment to coordinator of high school administrative services, a position located in an adjacent building outside the high school, or on whether he was seeking reinstatement as principal.

But he said he had no plans to retire and acknowledged how difficult the change had been.

"Next to my immediate family, that school is the closest thing I have to family," he said.

Carella expressed pride in the relationships he developed and maintained with parents, alumni, and the extended school community.

He pointed out that under his leadership, the high school became the first in Rockland County to receive a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.

He expressed gratitude to the people who have reached to to he and his family who he said are "equally outraged at the allegations. Their support has been unwavering and constant."