Editor’s note: Iman Rasti was terminated from his positions at Greens Farms Academy later Friday for “grossly inappropriate comments,” according to a statement by Head of School Bob Whelan. Read more here.
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By John Schwing
WESTPORT — An educator at Greens Farms Academy is the subject of a “sting” exposé posted by the conservative website, Project Veritas, in which he purportedly admits to being sexually distracted by young female students.
The video was posted Thursday on the website run by James O’Keefe, who says the secret recording of the private school’s educator, identified as Iman Rasti, is part of the organization’s “ongoing investigation” into education.
Rasti, a PhD, is a middle school English teacher at Greens Farms Academy and directs the school’s writing center, according to the academy website.
Rasti’s status at the school could not be confirmed Friday morning, but the Hartford Courant and other media outlets report that he has been placed on leave by Greens Farms administrators, who said they are investigating the matter.
There is no active police investigation into the video, Lt. Eric Woods said Friday.
In late August, Project Veritas posted a video in which an assistant principal at Cos Cob Elementary School in Greenwich, recorded in similar undercover circumstances, reportedly described discriminating against Catholic and conservative job candidates from being hired.
In the 10-minute video posted Thursday, the man identified as Rasti is filmed twice, apparently in restaurants, talking informally with an unidentified woman who is not seen on camera, except for her hand raising what appears to be a glass of wine.
It is not clear the circumstances under which the “interviews” were arranged, and as in other Project Veritas videos, this video appears to be highly edited, a practice that critics have said is a technique the organization uses to manipulate their content.
Introducing the video, O’Keefe describes Rasti’s comments as “twisted” and of a “graphic sexual manner” regarding adolescent female students.
Rasti is filmed describing circumstances that he says are “brutal” in terms of sexual temptation, apparent fantasies that he finds can frustrate his concentration on classroom lessons.
Questioned several times by the Project Veritas interviewer about whether he has physically acted on any fantasies about adolescent girls, however, Rasti said he has not.
O’Keefe, at the video’s conclusion, states in what can be considered a disclaimer for reasons of legal liability: “To be clear, Iman Rasti has not admitted to acting on any of his sexual feelings toward underage girls in his classroom or anywhere else …” while adding that the nature of Rasti’s remarks nonetheless warrant being reported.


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