Convicted Queens Teacher Sued by Victim

QUEENS, N.Y. (CN) - A former gym teacher convicted of having sex with at least two male students on school grounds now faces a civil lawsuit by one of her victims.

On May 31, 2014, Joy Morsi told a 16-year-old to go to her office at Grover Cleveland High School in the Ridgewood section of Queens, where she then raped him.

Morsi was arrested a few days later, and charged with 20 counts of third-degree rape and child endangerment.

The 41-year-old former physical-education teacher from Long Island pleaded guilty to having sex with male students both in 2013 and 2014.

In January 2015, she was ordered to complete a year of treatment for depression. She also was ordered to register as a sex offender.

The father of the 16-year-old victim filed suit on Friday in Queens County Supreme Court against the New York City Board of Education, the New York City Department of Education, the City of New York and Morsi.

Though the complaint identifies the victim and his father, Courthouse News has redacted those names in light of the sensitive nature of the claims.

School officials "negligently monitored and supervised" both Morsi and her victims, the 13-page lawsuit states.

Morsi's victim now suffers "severe and permanent personal injuries," and will continue to do so "for a considerable time to come," according to the complaint.

Morsi is no longer with the Department of Education, and that office declined to discuss the case on Tuesday.

The Queens prosecutor said Morsi had sex in the school's basement with the 16-year-old shortly after their relationship began in 2013.

In May 2014, she exposed herself to another 16-year-old, and performed a sex act on him, the district attorney said.

The boy's father is represented by Michael Hartman with Mavronicolas & Dee.

Hartman did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

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