A Queens high school principal accused of being a serial sexual abuser will have the criminal charges against him dismissed if he retires from his post, the Daily News has learned — though his accusers worry he’ll still be allowed to collect a hefty pension.
William Bassell, 67, who faces misdemeanor sex abuse and forcible touching charges, will get a “adjournment contemplating dismissal,” meaning the charges against him will be dropped if he stays out of trouble, provided he retires and completes a sex offender counseling program.
Bassell still faces civil court allegations, after a pair of federal lawsuits last year described him as a serial predator who treated his school, the Academy of American Studies in Astoria, as “his personal playground for sexual fulfillment” for at least a decade while the city Department of Education stonewalled attempts to report him.
His reputation was so notorious that he earned the nickname “Creepy Bill,” according to one of the lawsuits.
His accusers included a former student, two teachers and an assistant principal, as well as a guidance counselor who alleges he retaliated against her for reporting his abuse of the student.
Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News
Principal William Bassell is pictured in 2005. (Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News)
Bassell was arrested last May in connection with two of those accusers, the assistant principal and one of the teachers. The two accusers “are aware of the proposed disposition and support it,” Assistant D.A. Bradley King said Thursday during an appearance before Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Tubridy.
Bassell covered his face with a blue medical mask, sunglasses and a yellow baseball cap, though court officers made him remove the cap and sunglasses inside the courtroom. He refused to answer a reporter’s question if he’d get to keep his pension. His defense lawyer, Kendra Monte, declined comment as they left the courthouse.
Bassell earned more than $226,000 in 2025, city payroll records show. Court filings describe him as one of the longest-serving principals in the city school system.
“While I am grateful that the defendant is required to resign from the DOE, I am eager to know whether he will receive his pension. The idea that NYC taxpayers would foot the bill for Bassell’s pension makes my blood boil,” said former student Khiabet Leal.
Leal is one of four plaintiffs in a blockbuster suit filed against Bassell and the Department of Education. She alleges that after she suffered a migraine and a stomachache while on a field trip to the Metropolitan Opera on Feb. 13, 2015, Bassell crouched down to ask if she was OK, then reached underneath her skirt and started rubbing her inner thigh.
Tara Murphy, another plaintiff in that civil case and a social worker at the Academy of American Studies, said, “Like Khiabet, I am also pleased he will now resign and is required to complete sex offender counseling.”
The status of his pension is unclear, but the agreement with prosecutors means Bassell’s charges will eventually be dismissed and sealed if he stays out of legal trouble and obeys the court.
“This alleged behavior is reprehensible and wholly unacceptable. This individual was immediately removed from students upon learning of these allegations,” Department of Education Spokeswoman Chyann Tull said Thursday.
The Department of Education wouldn’t have a say in whether Bassell receives his pension, officials there said, and a representative of Bassell’s union didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News
Principal William Bassell is pictured in 2005. (Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News)
“Following an extensive review of the facts in this case, including conversations with the complaining witnesses, the defendant will enroll in a mandated treatment program, which typically lasts six months, and begin the process of resigning from the Department of Education,” said Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for Queens D.A. Melinda Katz. “If the defendant fails to complete the required treatment in full, he will face trial. We thank the complainants for coming forward which allowed for the just resolution of this case.”
Lawyer Annie Seifullah, who’s representing the teacher in the criminal complaint against Bassell, said Thursday, “Our priority in bringing her complaint forward has always been accountability and safety.
Seifullah’s “Jane Doe” client is suing the city Department of Education, alleging that officials turned a blind eye to Bassell as he sent her more than 30,000 text messages, inappropriately touched her for years and retaliated when she tried to transfer to another school.
“The most important outcome today is Bill Bassell no longer holds power over women and students in the Department of Education.”
With Cayla Bamberger