Stamford Board of Ed Employee Is Accused of Groping Female Co-Worker

A Stamford Board of Education employee has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest on charges he groped a fellow employee at the Stamford Government Center.

It was on April 16 that a 55-year-old female city employee made a complaint of unwarranted sexual advances made by a male co-worker, according to Stamford Police. Both employees are employees of the Board of Education, police said.

According to police, Stamford detectives bureau interviewed the victim and several coworkers.

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Police said the victim said that as she was walking from the fifth-floor to the third floor of the stairwell at the Government Center, she was approached by a coworker who “approached her and made some sexually unwanted comments to her.”

The victim identified her accoster as Diego Norena, 41. Police said the victim “attested that Norena approached her and made some sexually unwanted comments to her. At that point Norena attempted to kiss her and then he pushed her against a stairwell wall and groped her. She broke free and immediately reported the incident to a coworker and her supervisor.”

According to a police statement, the victim also told police that “Norena made unwanted sexual advances to her in October 2014. The victim relayed that he grabbed her in an office setting but she explained to him that she was not interested in him. The victim never reported this incident at that time.”

Stamford Police said that Norena “admitted to his involvement in this incident to the police and also a supervisor who interviewed him after the incident.”

After Stamford Police received an arrest warrant for Norena, he surrendered to police and was charged with third-degree sexual assault and second-degree unlawful restraint.

Norena’s bond was set at $2,500 bond.

According to police, “We also placed conditions of release that Norena have no contact with the victim. Norena was also placed on administrative leave at work.”

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Photo credit: Stamford Police.