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NYC High School Teacher Accused Of Giving Alcohol To Minor At Metropolitan Museum of Art

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teacher at an Upper West Side school has been removed from his classroom after he was arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to a teenage girl.

Police told 1010 WINS that 54-year-old Dean Bethea was arrested on Tuesday.

According to authorities, Bethea, who is a teacher at Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering, bought alcohol for a 16-year-old female during a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said Bethea has been reassigned in wake of the allegations.

"These allegations are troubling, and this teacher has been reassigned away from the classroom. He will not be in contact with any students pending the resolution of his case," spokesperson Devora Kaye told 1010 WINS.

According to his biography on the school's website, Bethea is a former college professor turned ninth-grade English language arts and philosophy teacher.

Bethea is charged with giving alcohol to a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor, police said. It remains unclear when the incident occurred.

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