City probes female assistant principal’s secret ‘affair’ with girl

Authorities are investigating allegations that a female assistant principal slept with a girl student while the principal kept it quiet.

Pelagia Papoutsis, 33, was abruptly removed from William Cullen Bryant HS in Long Island City — a school already embroiled in a grading and credit scandal — on Sept. 4, the Friday before classes started.

Also known as “Pelly,” the former math teacher and Bryant HS alumna was promoted to assistant principal last school year, and considered a powerful member of Principal Namita Dwarka’s inner circle.

But she is now under a cloud for allegedly engaging in a romantic relationship with one of her former students.

“In hindsight, it was super obviously twisted and wrong,” the student wrote in text messages to gym teacher Peter Maliarakis. He shared them with The Post.

The student’s charge emerged over the summer after Maliarakis launched a mutinous Facebook page, “Things you never knew about Bryant High School,” a closed group now with more than 12,500 members.

“Pelly was having inappropriate relations with a student,” the young woman, who has since graduated and gone to college, texted Maliarakis.

When Maliarakis asked if she had proof or a witness, the young woman replied: “I’m the first hand witness because it was me.”

She added: “I have tons of proof — old emails and stuff.”

The student also texted Maliarakis that Principal Dwarka was aware of the wrongdoing but “played along with it” and did nothing.

Maliarakis then spoke by phone to the student, he said.

“She said the relationship occurred during her senior year. She was 17 years old, and it continued after she graduated,” he said.

The age of consent in New York is 17. A sexual relationship with a student at that age would not result in criminal charges, but could be grounds for termination.

Another Bryant teacher told colleagues that Papoutsis had openly expressed a desire to pursue the student romantically, once calling her “the girl of my dreams,” school insiders said.

Reached by phone, the former student refused to discuss Papoutsis.

Regina Romain, a spokeswoman for Richard Condon, the special commissioner of investigation for city schools, confirmed the probe.

“I have no comment on that,” Papoutisis said.

Dwarka did not return a message seeking comment.

After Dwarka promoted her to assistant principal for math, Papoutsis’ salary jumped from $75,796 in 2013 to $97,735 in 2014.

The Department of Education removed Maliarakis from his duties last June. He was hit with 12 charges of incompetence and insubordination, including a refusal to bring his class to a basement fitness room in September 2013. He filed a complaint with a state agency, which found the room smelly, dirty, and unsafe.

Dwarka had Maliarakis sit in a student desk in the main office all day.

He called Condon’s office about the Papoutsis allegations on July 23, and turned over the text messages.

Last week, Dwarka ordered him to sit the six-hour day at the same desk.

“They want to show me for public humiliation, and to instill fear into the staff, ” he said.

The rebellious Facebook page is the site of other complaints about Dwarka’s leadership and tactics. It prompted a recent grad, Melissa Mejia, to complain that she didn’t deserve her diploma.

She got a surprise passing grade in a required government course despite poor attendance, not turning in work, and missing the final exam.