Sting AP Who Solicited Sex With Minors

Sting AP Who Solicited Sex With Minors

By HOWARD MEGDAL

The Department of Education is doing "all it can do" to fire a former Assistant Principal at a Manhattan high school who pleaded guilty last week to possession of child pornography and enticing a minor after trying to arrange an encounter with two undercover agents posing as 13-year-old girls.

Steven M. Rubinstein, 49, taught at various high schools within the city for 20 years before being named Assistant Principal of Math at Murry Bergtraum High School about a year ago.

'As Quickly As Possible'

"We're moving to terminate him as quickly as possible under the education law," DOE spokeswoman Margie Feinberg said April 10. "He was already assigned away from students a month ago."

He was arrested last month after a year-long Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation concluded. After the arrest, Mr. Rubinstein was demoted back to his teaching title and given administrative duties. Because he has tenure, he can't be fired without a hearing, and he is still collecting his salary of $79,357.

Investigators said Mr. Rubinstein met the two officers posing as minors in a chat room last June. When he was arrested earlier this year, illicit images of encounters between children and adults were found on his computer.

Mr. Rubinstein is scheduled to be sentenced July 10. He faces up to 151-1/2 years in prison.