Greenwich High School math teacher placed on leave amid sex abuse lawsuit

On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, a Greenwich High School math teacher was placed on administrative leave after the district learned of a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against him by a former student in New York. The teacher, Joseph Perlman, joined Greenwich Public Schools in August 2023.

In the lawsuit, filed September 2025, the former student alleges that officials within the Rye Neck Union Free Schools District failed to act on "inappropriate behavior and clear signs of grooming" during 2018-19 at Rye Neck Middle School. The complaint further claims that the district was aware Perlman was communicating privately with the then-13-year-old boy after school hours. According to the lawsuit, Perlman allegedly left "secret notes" for the student who would visit the classroom alone, where the abuse reportedly occurred.

The civil action follows a 2019 criminal investigation by the Mamaroneck Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, which was closed at the time after investigators found no evidence to corroborate the allegations.

Greenwich Public School officials confirmed that they were made aware of the lawsuit earlier this month but declined to comment on how they received the information or whether Perlman faces specific disciplinary action in Greenwich.

Between the Lines: A dangerous equation: secret notes from a math teacher.

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