Statement Regarding Incident at REACH

We write today with an update about an incident that was reported to us in April 2023 during a REACH Saturday session.

In February 2024, Chicas pled guilty pursuant to an agreement with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. It is our understanding that the guilty plea included one felony (unlawful surveillance in the second degree), and two misdemeanors (endangering the welfare of a child and attempted unlawful surveillance in the second degree). 

On April 15, 2023, a student informed us that an unidentified person attempted to take photos of him while he was in a restroom. Immediately after the allegation was reported to us, we contacted the student’s parents and reported the allegation to both Child Protective Services and the NYPD. The NYPD responded and came to Regis that afternoon to begin their investigation. 

The same day we also notified all REACH and Regis parents with news of this allegation. Based on our review of the facts, we terminated REACH teacher Matthew Chicas. Regis has been cooperating with law enforcement since we first reported the allegation to the NYPD on April 15. 2023. We are grateful to the NYPD and the Manhattan DA’s office for their prompt response, professionalism, and care for all involved. 

We are deeply distressed that one of our REACH teachers violated the high standards that we expect our faculty and staff to uphold in their interaction with our students. We have no greater commitment to our community than the safety and protection of every student in our care.

We encourage you to please keep the affected student and his family in your prayers.

Updated: 8/9/24