A New Jersey high school teacher has filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit accusing a student and her family of spreading explicit images taken from his private Instagram account and falsely linking him to allegations of sexual misconduct involving a student.
Daniel Torsiello, a history teacher at Central Regional High School in Ocean County, claims the images and online posts caused severe reputational damage and placed both his teaching and coaching positions at risk. According to the complaint, the online allegations accusing him of having an inappropriate relationship with a student resulted in Torsiello being placed on administrative leave, despite no criminal charges being filed.
Court filings claim the dispute began after Torsiello gave a student access to the girls basketball team’s Instagram account so she could help post updates related to the program. The lawsuit alleges the student then used that access to enter Torsiello’s personal Instagram account, where she allegedly found explicit photographs and private conversations involving adults.
The complaint states that the student took screenshots of the material and circulated them among other students. Torsiello claims the screenshots later spread across social media alongside accusations that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with a student at the school.
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