Girls abused by Long Branch, NJ teacher settle for $3.7M

🔴 Long Branch schools have agreed to a $3.7 million settlement.

🔴 Former teacher Gustavo Barrientos is serving time in state prison for child endangerment.

🔴 One survivor received a much larger sum than the other students.

LONG BRANCH — This Monmouth County school district has agreed to pay $3.7 million to four girls who said they were abused by their teacher.

Gustavo Barrientos, 58, won't be eligible for parole for more than three years. The former teacher at Catrambone Elementary is serving time in South Woods State Prison on four separate charges of child endangerment. After he gets out, Barrientos will be registered as a sex offender. His teaching certificate was also revoked.

Barrientos was first arrested in 2021, though his accusers said the abuse happened in 2018. Now, the four young girls who reported his abuse have collectively won millions. The settlement reached in December was first reported by John Paff with transparencynj.com.

Students report abuse at Catrambone Elementary in Long Branch

The largest sum has gone to one girl who bore the brunt of her teacher's perversion when she was 10 years old. She will be paid $2,750,000, with around $692,000 going to her attorney's fees.

The former student said Barrientos, her homeroom teacher, repeatedly kissed her on the mouth and showed her pornography on school grounds, including in classrooms. He also used his fingers to get under her skirt, touch her inner thigh, and digitally penetrate her, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Monmouth County.

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The three other girls who also filed lawsuits each will receive $325,000. Each girl reported that she was under 10 years old when the abuse happened. They said their experiences included inappropriate shoulder rubs, hugging, kissing, and other inappropriate touching.

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