Harlem School Safety Officer Accused of Groping Student Updated June 2, 2010 6:37pm

(Flickr/AriCee)

By Olivia Scheck

DNAinfo Reporter Producer

MANHATTAN — A 16-year-old Harlem student was groped during school hours by a man who was paid to protect her, the NYPD said.

Kashawn Hargett, a 22-year-old school safety officer at Frederick Douglass Academy on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., was arrested Tuesday and charged with forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

The alleged victim, a student at the school, was in a stairwell when Hargett allegedly grabbed her, the New York Post reported.

Hargett's wife said he did not want to comment on the matter.

School safety officers are required to pass a character and background investigation before being hired, according to the city's website.

Fredrick Douglass Academy is considered one of the best public high schools in the city. The school's alumni include legendary writer James Baldwin, their website noted.