Long Island teacher accused of showing teen students inappropriate content
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 13, 2026, 19:34 IST
A teenager’s driving lesson ends. The instructor is now accused of playing explicit videos. Police say it happened more than once. Charges filed in Suffolk County. Students have reportedly shown inappropriate material after class. Court documents describe unsettling behaviour. No weapons involved. Just a car, a screen, and choices later, called unacceptable. Authorities stepped in. Investigation followed. Now there is a case.
TL;DR
A teenager sat in the passenger seat when the man started playing adult content on his phone. Officers took him into custody following complaints from three young students. The driving academy let him go once they learned what happened. Anyone else who experienced something similar is being asked to speak up.
A man who teaches teens to drive on Long Island now faces charges. Police say he played adult videos for students right after their lessons ended. Officials in Suffolk County verified the incident involved three boys, each sixteen years old. What happened took place during a routine training session set in December.
A man named Mitchell Lerner, age 75, from Melville, now faces three charges tied to putting children at risk. Following a routine driving session, police say he took the students to a parking area instead of ending the lesson. There, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, he played a graphic clip showing two adults performing a sex act. The moment unfolded without warning, leaving those involved shocked by what happened next.
“The driving instructor went to a parking lot and showed these three kids a very inappropriate video,” Catalina said. “Our understanding is that it was offered as some kind of reward for their driving.”
A date was set for December 22nd, officers stated. Not till January sixth did the school learn about it. That happened when a student's grandmother reached out to the driving program. Barry Becker runs Defensive Driving School in Central Islip. Once the report came in, he looked into what had been said right away.
“Our main goal is to teach kids how to survive behind the wheel,” Becker told NBC New York. “What he is accused of is not tolerated here, and once another student confirmed the incident, he was removed from his position.”
Lerner spent four years teaching at the school, according to Becker, where he stood out as a favourite among students. High marks followed his classes, year after year. Yet when claims surfaced, the institution moved fast. That history did not slow their response.
Lerner got taken into custody, then let out on bail. A court appearance looms ahead, set for the First District Court in Central Islip. So far, no plea has been filed by him. Repeated efforts to contact Lerner went nowhere.
What stood out to Commissioner Catalina was how unsettling the situation felt - his daughter went through that very driving school, just never under Lerner’s instruction. That personal link made it hit differently.
“This is a disturbing crime for any parent to hear about,” Catalina said. “This school teaches thousands of students across Long Island.”
Hours each week add up - Lerner held sessions alone and with others, Becker figured, nearly every day. One case is on record so far, according to law enforcement; still, people affected in like manner should reach out. What stands clear now might just be part of a larger picture.
Becker moved quickly after that, rolling out fresh rules meant to keep things safer. One camera would go into every training car, a move designed to make actions clear and trackable.
“I hope parents continue to trust our school,” Becker said. “We are committed to making sure every student feels safe and respected.”
Even now, officials stress the probe continues without pause.
A teenager sat in the passenger seat when the man started playing adult content on his phone. Officers took him into custody following complaints from three young students. The driving academy let him go once they learned what happened. Anyone else who experienced something similar is being asked to speak up.
A man who teaches teens to drive on Long Island now faces charges. Police say he played adult videos for students right after their lessons ended. Officials in Suffolk County verified the incident involved three boys, each sixteen years old. What happened took place during a routine training session set in December.
A man named Mitchell Lerner, age 75, from Melville, now faces three charges tied to putting children at risk. Following a routine driving session, police say he took the students to a parking area instead of ending the lesson. There, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, he played a graphic clip showing two adults performing a sex act. The moment unfolded without warning, leaving those involved shocked by what happened next.
“The driving instructor went to a parking lot and showed these three kids a very inappropriate video,” Catalina said. “Our understanding is that it was offered as some kind of reward for their driving.”
A date was set for December 22nd, officers stated. Not till January sixth did the school learn about it. That happened when a student's grandmother reached out to the driving program. Barry Becker runs Defensive Driving School in Central Islip. Once the report came in, he looked into what had been said right away.
“Our main goal is to teach kids how to survive behind the wheel,” Becker told NBC New York. “What he is accused of is not tolerated here, and once another student confirmed the incident, he was removed from his position.”
Lerner spent four years teaching at the school, according to Becker, where he stood out as a favourite among students. High marks followed his classes, year after year. Yet when claims surfaced, the institution moved fast. That history did not slow their response.
Lerner got taken into custody, then let out on bail. A court appearance looms ahead, set for the First District Court in Central Islip. So far, no plea has been filed by him. Repeated efforts to contact Lerner went nowhere.
What stood out to Commissioner Catalina was how unsettling the situation felt - his daughter went through that very driving school, just never under Lerner’s instruction. That personal link made it hit differently.
“This is a disturbing crime for any parent to hear about,” Catalina said. “This school teaches thousands of students across Long Island.”
Hours each week add up - Lerner held sessions alone and with others, Becker figured, nearly every day. One case is on record so far, according to law enforcement; still, people affected in like manner should reach out. What stands clear now might just be part of a larger picture.
Becker moved quickly after that, rolling out fresh rules meant to keep things safer. One camera would go into every training car, a move designed to make actions clear and trackable.
“I hope parents continue to trust our school,” Becker said. “We are committed to making sure every student feels safe and respected.”
Even now, officials stress the probe continues without pause.