Case of Ellen Garfield

Case of Ellen Garfield
(AKA: Ellen Greenblatt)

Former Music Teacher - Solomon Schechter Day School, Boston, MA

Lynn, MA
 Trieste, Italy

Acquitted on the charges that she raped a 14-year-old boy.  

According to the original reports,  Ellen Garfield who was at music teacher allegedly raped a 14-year-old boy and gave him marijuana on several occasions.  Garfield allegedly became involved with the teenager when he and his friends formed a musical group between 1995 and 1998. 

Ellen Garfield was originally arraigned July 23, 2002, and was released without bail. Garfield was ordered to stay away from any child under the age of 16, except her own.

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Table of Contents:

2002

1. Teacher Faces Charges of Raping Boy, 14 (08/07/2002)
2. Woman accused of raping boy in Newton (09/07/2002)
3. Newton private school teacher denies charge she raped boy (09/08/2002)

2005

1. Former Teacher On Trial For Alleged Rape (09/20/2005)
2. Jury selected for teacher's rape trial (09/21/2005)
3. Man testifies that teacher seduced him at age 14 (09/22/2005)
4. Testimony begins in teacher's rape trial  (09/22/2005)
5. Former teacher cleared of rape charges  (09/28/2005)
6. Ex-music teacher in Newton found not guilty of child rape (09/29/2005)
7. Lurid tales, but no epidemic (09/29/2005)
8. Former music teacher acquitted on child rape charges  (09/29/2005)

2013

1. LinkedIn (11/29/2013)
2. Reverbnation (11/29/2013)

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Teacher Faces Charges of Raping Boy, 14

Boston Globe, MA - August 7, 2002

A music teacher at a Jewish day school in Newton faces charges of raping a 14-year-old boy and giving him marijuana on several occasions in 1998. Ellen Garfield of Lynn pleaded not guilty to the charges in Middlesex Superior Court involving the boy, who was not a student at Solomon Schecter Day School, said Emily LaGrassa, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex district attorney. Garfield was charged with two counts of child rape and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, LaGrassa said. She was released on her own recognizance and ordered to stay away from anyone under 16 years of age, except her own child, LaGrassa said.

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Woman accused of raping boy in Newton.

Woman accused of raping boy in Newton

By Laurel J. Sweet

The Boston Herald - August 7, 2002

A Lynn mother is awaiting trial on charges she raped a 14 year-old boy and plied him with pot while she was working as a music teacher at a prestigious Newton day school.

Ellen Garfield, 46, was indicted on the abuse allegations by a Middlesex County grand jury last month.

At her arraignment on July 23, she pleaded not guilty to two counts of child rape and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, said Emily LaGrassa, spokeswoman for the Middlesex County District Attorney's office. Garfield, who was not arrested, was released on personal recognizance. She was suspended from her job as music director at the Solomon Schechter School in Newton Centre, WCVB-TV (Ch. 5) reported late last night.

The abuse allegedly occurred in 1998 at a home in Newton. I don't believe (the alleged victim) was a student at the school, LaGrassa said. The The accusations were brought to the attention of authorities earlier this year, she said.

Garfield has been ordered to stay away from children under the age of 16, with the exception of her own.

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Newton private school teacher denies charges she raped boy

By David Weber

Boston Herald - August 8, 2002

The lawyer for a woman charged with statutory rape of a 14 year-old boy at a private school in Newton in 1998 said his client denies ever having sex with the teenager.

Ellen Garfield, 46, of Lynn has been placed on leave from her position as music director at the Solomon Schechter Day School while the case against her proceeds through Middlesex Superior Court.

"My client was shocked when she heard of the allegations, and she vociferously denies ever having inappropriate contact with any underaged males, defense lawyer Randy Chapman said. Garfield was arraigned last month, some four years after her accuser says she had sex with him in a classroom while the pair were rehearsing for a musical performance. She is free on personal recognizance until her next court appearance on Aug. 19, when a pretrial conference has been scheduled.

The alleged victim lived in Framingham and was not a student at the school, but played in a band with a Schechter student who was acquainted with Garfield. The young man waited more than three before contacting authorities, and officials of the Newton school said they only learned about the allegations in June. The school immediately placed Mrs. Garfield on administrative leave. Consistent with the judge's direction that she have no unsupervised contact with children other than her own child, she remains on leave, said Arnold Zar-Kessler, head of the school.

According to prosecutors, Garfield became involved with the teenager when he and his friends formed a musical group between 1995 and 1998. Investigators allege she shared marijuana with the boys and spoke to them frequently about her marriage and her private life. The alleged sexual escapade with one of the boys went unreported for several years until he told a girlfriend about it, and she urged him to tell law enforcement authorities. Garfield is charged with two counts of statutory rape of a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Chapman said, I know (Garfield)had been highly thought of at her job and was a respected member of her community. These allegations obviously have been devastating to both her and her family. When a person dedicates their life to being a teacher, and then someone raises these allegations, it is just devastating, Chapman added.

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Former Teacher On Trial For Alleged Rape - Woman Accused Of Having Sex With Boy, 14

Associated Press - September 20, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A jury is being picked in Middlesex Superior Court to hear the child rape trial of a former private school music teacher.

Ellen Garfield of Lynn is accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy in 1998. The alleged victim did not report the abuse to his parents until four years later.

Prosecutors say Garfield was the music director at the Solomon Schecter School in Newton. The boy was not a student at the school but did know the defendant.

Garfield is also accused of providing the boy with marijuana.

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Jury selected for teacher's rape trial

By Jennifer Roy / Daily News Staff

Daily News Tribune, MA - Wednesday, September 21, 2005

CAMBRIDGE -- Opening statements are expected today in the trial of a former Newton private school teacher accused of raping a 14-year-old boy at the school in 1998 and giving him marijuana.

Ellen Garfield, 49, of Lynn, is charged with two counts of rape of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Middlesex District Attorney spokeswoman Melissa Sherman said.

Jury selection in the case began Monday and ended yesterday afternoon in Middlesex Superior Court.

Sherman said Garfield, who taught music at the Solomon Schecter School, raped the teen several times in 1998 and gave him marijuana. She said the alleged victim, who is now 21, was not a student at the private school, but knew Garfield.

Garfield was indicted July 18, 2002, after the alleged victim told his parents and police of the past abuse.

She was arraigned July 23, 2002, and was released without bail. Garfield was ordered to stay away from any child under the age of 16, except her own.

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Man testifies that teacher seduced him at age 14

By Cristina Silva, Globe Correspondent

Boston Globe - September 22, 2005

CAMBRIDGE -- A 21-year-old Andover man testified in Middlesex Superior Court yesterday that a music teacher seduced him in a classroom when he was 14 years old.

The man says the teacher took him into an empty classroom where she worked, partially disrobed, and coaxed him into having sex with her. The pair had been rehearsing for a musical performance, he said.

''I thought to myself, wow, that's what losing my virginity feels like," the man testified. ''I felt this wasn't the right thing to do."

Ellen Garfield, 49, of Lynn, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of statutory rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for allegedly giving the victim marijuana on several occasions in 1998, sat silently as the man detailed the alleged rape during the first day of the trial.

Garfield was placed on leave from her position as music director at the Solomon Schechter Day School, a Jewish private school in Newton, after the court ruled during her arraignment in 2002 that she could have no contact with any child under the age of 16 other than her son. The witness yesterday was not a student at the day school, but performed with other Solomon Schechter students in a band that was managed by Garfield, according to testimony.

The man said he became involved with Garfield while she managed the band between 1996 and 1998. According to his testimony, the pair allegedly had oral sex several times during that period, and often groped each other at band practices and performances when no one was looking.

The relationship ended in late 1998 when Garfield was asked by the band to resign as their manager for unrelated reasons, the young man said. When asked by a defense attorney if there was any evidence of the sexual encounters, the youth said there wasn't.

The witness replied no when asked repeatedly by the defense if anyone had seen Garfield and him touching. He also testified that he did not tell his friends about the sexual encounters.

The man came forward with the allegations in 2002, nearly three years after the rape allegedly occurred, prosecutors said. The Globe does not publish the names of persons alleging sexual assault without their permission.

The trial is expected to last at least until next week.

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Testimony begins in teacher's rape trial

By Jennifer Roy

Daily News Tribune, MA - Thursday, September 22, 2005

CAMBRIDGE -- The alleged victim of the former Newton private school teacher accused of raping a child took the witness stand yesterday, telling jurors the Lynn woman raped him repeatedly in 1998 and gave him marijuana.

After two days of jury selection, the trial of Ellen Garfield, 49, began in Middlesex Superior Court.

Garfield is charged with two counts of rape of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The victim's mother also testified yesterday.

The name of the victim, who is now 21, is being withheld because he is the alleged victim of sexual assault.

District attorney spokeswoman Emily LaGrassa said prosecutors are expected to finish questioning their witnesses tomorrow afternoon. She said she does not know how long the defense will take.

She said Garfield's attorney has 18 potential witnesses, but may not call all of them. "It's out of our hands then," she said.

Garfield, who taught music at the Solomon Schecter School, allegedly raped the teen several times in 1998 and gave him marijuana, district attorney spokeswoman Melissa Sherman said.

She said the alleged victim was not a student at the private school, but knew Garfield.

Garfield was indicted July 18, 2002, after the alleged victim told his parents and police of the past abuse.

She was arraigned July 23, 2002, and was released without bail. Garfield was ordered to stay away from any child under the age of 16, except her own.

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Former teacher cleared of rape charges

By Jennifer Roy / Daily News Staff

Daily News Tribune, MA - September 28, 2005

CAMBRIDGE -- The former Newton private school teacher accused of molesting a teenage boy at the school in the '90s and giving him marijuana was found not guilty late yesterday in Middlesex Superior Court.

Ellen Garfield, 49, of Lynn, was charged with raping a 14-year-old boy at the Solomon Schecter School, where she was a music teacher, several times in 1998.

The teen, who testified last week, was not a student at the school but knew Garfield, District Attorney spokeswoman Melissa Sherman said.

Garfield was charged with two counts of rape of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Jury selection in the case began last Monday. The jury returned its not guilty verdict late yesterday afternoon, about three hours after it began deliberating.

"We're disappointed, but we respect the jury's decision," Sherman said. "Beyond that, we can't comment."

Neither Garfield nor her attorney, Randy Chapman, could be reached for comment last night.

Correction

Daily News Tribune, MA - September 29, 2005

Due to misinformation provided by the Middlesex District Attorney's office, the name of Ellen Garfield's attorney in yesterday's Daily News Tribune was incorrect. Garfield was represented by Benjamin Entine.

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Ex-music teacher in Newton found not guilty of child rape - Woman taught at private school

By Chase Davis

Boston Globe - September 29, 2005

A former music teacher in Newton, who was accused of having sex with a 14-year-old and giving him marijuana several times in the 1990s, was acquitted Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court.

Ellen Garfield, 49, was found not guilty on two counts of rape of a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor -- charges stemming from alleged incidents between 1996 and 1998, when Garfield was a music teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School, a private Jewish school in Newton.

Her accuser, now 21, testified last week that Garfield seduced him in an empty classroom and coaxed him into having sex with her.

When defense attorneys asked whether he had any proof of the encounters, the man said he did not. The man also testified that no one had seen the alleged encounters, nor did he tell anyone about them until he came forward in 2002.

Although he was not a student at Solomon Schechter, the accuser was in a band that Garfield volunteered to manage, said Emily LaGrassa, spokeswoman for the Middlesex district attorney's office. Garfield stopped managing the band in 1998, at which time the relationship ended, the accuser testified.

Allegations against Garfield surfaced in 2002, after which a judge ruled that she could no longer have unsupervised contact with children younger than age 16 other than her son -- an order that stood until her acquittal, said Stuart Garfield, her husband.

''She's just glad it's over," he said. ''She's glad to get back to her life."

He said his wife has not indicated whether she wants to return to work at Solomon Schechter.

She plans to visit friends at the school in the coming weeks, he said.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

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Lurid tales, but no epidemic

By Laura Crimaldi

Boston Herald, United States - September 29, 2005

While female sex offenders from former Washington State teacher Mary Kay Letourneau to Florida teacher Debra Lafave have grabbed headlines – and three Bay State students have filed complaints since June – victims' advocates don't see a sudden epidemic of female teachers seducing their young male charges.

``I think it's a question of are more coming forward or is it getting more attention because it's not the norm of the younger girl and the older man,'' said Toni Troop, a spokeswoman for Jane Doe, Inc., which helps victims of sexual assault.

In the last four months, three young male students have reportedly accused female teachers of sexual assault in Massachusetts. Most recently, former Westford teacher Susan Clickner was indicted on one count of statutory rape for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old former student.

But not all these allegations turn out to be credible. A Middlesex County jury cleared Ellen Garfield, 49, of allegations she raped a 14-year-old boy at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton.

``It destroyed my life and it destroyed my family's life,'' said Garfield of Lynn. Her accuser, now 21, who testified he lost his ``virginity'' to the teacher in a vacant classroom, was not a student, but performed in the band, named Route 9, which Garfield managed.

During trial, Garfield's attorney Benjamin Entine claimed the accuser fabricated the story to get the teacher fired so his girlfriend's mother, a teacher from Israel, could get a job.

Garfield, who now works as a bookstore manager and performs with a Jewish musical ensemble, said she took extra heat because the charges surfaced in 2002 at the height of the clergy sex abuse scandal.

``It was like a witch hunt,'' Garfield said. ``With cases that involve the abuse of a child it really feels like it's guilty until proven innocent.''

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Former music teacher acquitted on child rape charges

Eyewitness News, RI - September 29, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. A former music teacher at a private school in Newton has been acquitted of charges she raped a 14-year-old boy.

A Middlesex Superior Court jury yesterday cleared 49-year-old Ellen Garfield of Lynn after a one-week trial.

Garfield was the former music director at the Solomon Schecter School. The boy she was accused of having sex with was not a student at the school, but played in a band managed by Garfield.

She was also charged with providing the teen-ager with marijuana.

Prosecutors said the boy waited four years before reporting the alleged abuse to his parents, who notified authorities.

The Middlesex District Attorney's office says it respects the jury's decision, but is disappointed by it.

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LinkedIn - Ellen Garfield
November 29, 2013

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Reverbnation - Ellen Garfield
November 29, 2013

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