A man from Frankfort who taught at an Albany-area school district is being sued by 17 of his co-workers after admitting to hiding a camera in a staff bathroom at Sand Creek Middle School.
Patrick Morgan, 58, pleaded guilty to unlawful surveillance charges earlier this month and is facing two to six years in prison when he is sentenced in January.
Morgan put a camera disguised as a phone charger in a co-ed bathroom at the school that was used by various faculty members.
The civil lawsuits against Morgan and the South Colonie Central School District were filed in Albany County Supreme Court on Nov. 29.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs are seeking damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress and harm, and personal and financial injuries caused by violations of privacy.
The lawsuits claim the district has a responsibility to provide a safe space for students and faculty, who had a reasonable expectation of privacy when using the school’s bathroom facilities.
The plaintiffs also claim that Morgan had a documented history of disciplinary issues and inappropriate conduct, and accuse the district of “negligently failing to heed obvious signs and warnings that Defendant Patrick Morgan placed others at the Sand Creek Middle School at risk of harm…”
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary and punitive damages for seven claims filed in each of the 17 lawsuits.
Morgan will also be required to register as a sex offender after he is sentenced.
