Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a former gym teacher at Kizirian Elementary School has been found guilty of molesting a minor female student and assaulting three other minor female students between 2014 and 2017. The verdict was reached in Providence County Superior Court.
James Duffy, 59, was found guilty on May 10, 2024, after a four-day jury trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Stephen P. Nugent. The jury convicted Duffy of one count of second-degree child molestation and four counts of simple assault. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2024.
“Every day, parents send their children to school trusting their kids will be well-supervised and well cared for,” stated Attorney General Neronha. “For these victims and their parents, these crimes have forever impacted their lives. I commend the courage of the victims in this case for their bravery in coming forward. I thank the Providence Police Department for their outstanding and persistent work during the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
The prosecution established that Duffy, while employed as a physical education teacher at Kizirian Elementary School, sexually assaulted one female student and physically assaulted three others during physical education classes and lunch periods over a span of three years. The incidents occurred on various days between 2014 and 2017.
“The bravery of the victims involved in these cases has been invaluable, resulting in the defendant being held accountable for his crimes,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez, Jr. “As always, I am grateful for the men and women of the Providence Police Department, who work tirelessly to ensure that the youth in our community are not put in harm’s way by any individual, especially those who work within our schools.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ania Zielinski and Special Assistant Attorney General Taylor Matook, with the investigation led by Sergeant Brian Dyer of the Providence Police Department.
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