Queens mom says 5-year-old son was sexually assaulted at school by four fellow kindergartners

Meredith Kolodner and James Fanelli New York Daily News 09/06/2010 21:33

Yenny Valero says her son was attacked and sexually assaulted by fellow kindergarten classmates a week before the end of last school year.

The mother of a 5-year-old Queens boy claims her son was jumped inside his elementary school and sexually assaulted by four classmates - all of them kindergartners.

Mom Yenny Valero said the shocking attack occurred in the school's bathroom just weeks before the end of the school year.

"I'm very sad and disappointed," Valero told the Daily News. "You never expect this to happen to your child, especially in school. You expect them to go to school and come back safe."

The Astoria resident filed a notice of claim on Aug. 27 - the first step in suing the city - alleging her son was assaulted, sexually abused and raped.

The News is withholding the name of the boy and his school to protect his identity.

Valero said their ordeal began when her son went to the bathroom on June 11.

Four boys, all 6 or 7 years old, held him down, removed his pants and inserted at least one finger into his anus, according to the legal papers.

The young victim, who wears ankle braces because of balance issues, suffered physical injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder, the filing states.