Daniel Torsiello, a history teacher and coach at Central Regional High School in New Jersey, sued a student and her family for $1 million after explicit images from his private Instagram were allegedly accessed and shared. The complaint says the student used team-account access to reach his personal account, screenshot explicit photos and private messages, and distributed them to classmates, prompting administrative leave and a March 9 demand letter. No criminal charges have been filed, and the defendants had not responded as of May 2.
New Jersey Teacher Sues Student and Family for $1M After Private Instagram Photos Circulated
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Daniel Torsiello, a history teacher at Central Regional High School in New Jersey, has filed a $1 million civil lawsuit after explicit photographs from his private Instagram account were circulated among students, according to court papers obtained by PEOPLE.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint names a minor student and her family and accuses the student of using credentials Torsiello provided for the girls' basketball team Instagram account to access his personal account. Torsiello acknowledges his private account contained explicit photos of himself and other consenting adults.
The suit alleges the student took screenshots of those images and private conversations between Torsiello and other adults, then shared the screenshots with classmates. As a result of the posts and subsequent social-media activity, school officials placed Torsiello on administrative leave in February.
Escalation on Social Media
Two weeks into his leave, the complaint says, social media activity intensified and included posts, comments, photographs, videos, screenshots and shares that "falsely and maliciously alleged Torsiello was in an inappropriate relationship with a student at Central." A Facebook page also shared material about the allegations, according to the filing.
Demand Letter and Requests
On March 9, Torsiello's attorney, Joshua P. Cittadino, sent a notice demanding an immediate written retraction and public correction, identification of everyone who received the screenshots, removal of reposted material under the defendants' control, written confirmation that no further dissemination would occur, and monetary compensation for lost income and reputational harm.
Cittadino wrote that the communications were "unrelated to school activities and did not involve any students whatsoever" and that the screenshots were shared with intent to harm Torsiello's reputation.
Institutional and Legal Status
The district previously said it had no reports or information indicating alleged sexual misconduct by district staff with students, but acknowledged that messages between two adult staff members were inadvertently accessed by students. Local prosecutors would not comment on whether an investigation was opened, and Torsiello has not been charged with any crime.
The lawsuit also notes Torsiello faces potential job consequences beyond Central Regional High School: he says he is at risk of losing his women's volleyball coaching position at a nearby community college. As of May 2, the complaint states, the defendants had not responded to the demand letter and no counsel had appeared for the family in the court docket.
Note: The allegations in the lawsuit are those asserted by the plaintiff. No criminal charges have been filed against Mr. Torsiello, and the defendants have not yet filed a formal response to the civil complaint.
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