Police charged a former Long Island college professor after a student reported a daytime assault in a campus parking lot.
Story Snapshot
- Court records detail alleged forced oral sex and choking with a lanyard in a campus lot.
- Prosecutors filed sex-crime and breathing-obstruction charges after a 911 call and police response.
- The accused pleaded not guilty; his lawyer says he categorically denies the claims.
- The college says campus police assisted the student and coordinated with county police.
Felony Charges Filed After Detailed Campus Complaint
Newsday reported that Suffolk County court filings charge former Farmingdale State College professor Antoine Munfakh with first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree rape, and third-degree criminal obstruction of breathing. The complaint describes an alleged assault on October 15 in Parking Lot 6. The filing states the student’s breasts were touched, she was forced to perform oral sex, and she was choked with her lanyard. The New York Post reported the time as about 2:48 p.m. in Munfakh’s vehicle.
Suffolk County police responded after a 911 call and notified campus police, according to the college’s statement reported by Newsday. The college said campus officers assisted the student and worked with county authorities. Newsday reported that Munfakh was arraigned on October 16 before Judge Evan S. Tanenbaum. The Post also listed the separate breathing-obstruction charge, which signals prosecutors treated the alleged choking as a distinct act under state law.
Defense Plea And Presumption Of Innocence
Munfakh pleaded not guilty, and his attorney, Scott E. Leemon, said the former professor categorically denies the allegations and intends to prove his innocence in court. That position reflects the basic rule that a charge is not a conviction. The case will now move through discovery and hearings. A judge or jury, not media coverage, will decide whether the evidence meets the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Published reports do not identify the student, and they do not disclose medical findings, DNA, or surveillance footage. That is common early in a case, especially when privacy rules apply. It also means the public cannot yet review potential corroboration. Police and prosecutors often hold back sensitive details to protect an investigation. Courts rely on the full record, not only what appears in news stories during the first week.
Why This Case Hits Nerves On Campus Safety And Trust
Named assaults on campus strike at parents’ core fears because daylight, busy spaces, and familiar settings feel safe. When a report still surfaces, people ask whether schools respond fast and protect students well. The reported 911 call, county response, and campus support show the system moving as designed in this instance, at least at the start. Many readers also worry that elites in institutions protect their own. Clear, transparent processes can help rebuild trust.
Sexual misconduct in higher education appears more common than official reports suggest, yet each case still needs proof. National Academies materials summarize research that more than half of female faculty and staff, and between 20 and 50 percent of female students, report some form of harassment in academia, which is broader than the crimes charged here. That context explains why many victims do not report, but it cannot decide this case. Courts must judge facts tied to this event alone.
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