Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced Wednesday, July 16, that a physical education teacher at Yonkers Middle High School has been arrested for allegedly harassing one of his female students over a period of several months, both over text message and in person.

She said Matthew Hausman, 59, of Somers, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, and two counts of second-degree harassment, a violation. She said Hausman was arraigned on the charges on July 16 in Yonkers City Court, where he pleaded not guilty.

She said Judge Verris Shako released Hausman with non-monetary conditions, as neither of the charges is bail-eligible. She said Shako further provided a temporary order of protection for the victim and the case has been adjourned to July 18.

“The exploitation and abuse of children, whether as alleged here or anywhere else, will never be tolerated by my administration,” Cacace said. “The welfare of our most vulnerable residents, including and especially our children, must always come first.”

The court heard that between October 2024 and April 2025, Hausman engaged in a course of conduct directed at a child, his student, by repeatedly interacting with her, both over text message and in person, with romantic and sexual overtures, according to charging documents and a deposition made by the victim.

Among other actions, the defendant is accused of engaging in specific troubling conduct on several different dates. In February 2025, inside his classroom, he is accused of calling the victim a “bitch” while holding a dog collar, opening the collar, and insinuating that he wanted to put the collar on her.

In January 2025, he is accused of texting the victim, “Hi are you angry with me? I felt blown off at the dance, didn’t hear from you all weekend. Am I being ‘ghosted’? Do you have a new bf [boyfriend] and therefore [sic] avoiding me, what’s up?”

In February 2025, he is accused of kissing the victim for her birthday. He is also accused of texting the victim (no date was provded) that another teacher might raise her grades if she “looked cute” for the other teacher.

In December 2024, he is accused of asking the victim over text message if he could send his “daughters” and his “wife” to the victim’s father, and in return, “get” the victim, in exchange.

In April 2025, he is accused of texting the victim that “[m]aybe I could give you motion sickness.” He is also accused of texting the victim that he had her schedule and “[n]ow I can be a stalker (if I had the time).”

In April 2025, he is also accused of texting the victim that he saw a male classmate hug her, that it drove him crazy and that said classmate was no longer welcome in his classroom.

In April 2025, he is accused of confessing to the victim that he had romantic feelings for her and acknowledging that it was wrong to have these feelings.

Cacace urges anyone who may have had an interaction with Hausman that they would like to report, or anyone who may have more information about the above-referenced incidents, to contact the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office tip line at (914) 995-TIPS (8477).

The case is being investigated by the Yonkers Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Morgan Helfman of the Special Prosecutions Division.