Queens High School Teacher Reassigned After Homophobic Slur and Threatening Outburst

 


Queens, New York - A Queens high school teacher, Juan Ynoa, has been reassigned away from students following an alarming incident in which he verbally assaulted a driver with a homophobic slur and issued a threat of sexual assault. The confrontation, caught on tape, occurred on Long Island on September 5.


Ynoa, who also serves as a coach for a Long Island youth baseball team, was in his own vehicle when he launched the offensive tirade at Matthew Kevelson. Kevelson managed to record part of the confrontation, which was later shared online, as reported by NBC 4.


In the footage, Ynoa can be heard shouting, "Hey, jerk off. What’s up, you f—ing jerk off?" He continued with a threat, saying, "I’ll rape your f—ing a–, you f—-t," and warned, "You’re messing with the wrong dude," while gesturing with his finger. A woman in the passenger seat of Ynoa's car is seen laughing during the road rage incident in Wantagh.


After the Department of Education became aware of the video, Ynoa, who teaches at Flushing High School, was promptly reassigned "away from students," according to a spokesperson. As of Wednesday night, the DOE had not yet responded to a request for further comment.


The New York Longhorns, the youth baseball team associated with Ynoa, condemned the incident and confirmed that the staff member involved had been removed from the team. However, the organization did not explicitly name Ynoa. In a Facebook post, they stated, "The actions, words and sentiments expressed by the former member do not align in any way with the Longhorns core values and mission to provide a positive and supportive place for baseball players to develop into young adults both on and off the field."


When contacted by NBC 4, Ynoa responded via email, stating, "Now is not a good time." He also indicated that he might provide his perspective on the matter the following day, though he did not offer further details.


The exact catalyst for the confrontation remains unclear. Kevelson, who captured the video, explained that it began after Ynoa abruptly changed lanes, prompting Kevelson to honk his horn. Kevelson shared that he decided to post the video online as a precaution, fearing potential retaliation from Ynoa after taking a photo of his license plate.


"This guy is around children," Kevelson emphasized. "If he’s a coach, if he’s a teacher in the community, a leader of the community, he can’t be acting like that in public."