Travis Longo, the vice president of the Cazenovia Central School District board, resigned on the evening of June 22, effective immediately, days after being accused of child sex abuse, including videos of the sexual abuse of infants, on his cell phone.
The Cazenovia school board announced the next morning that Longo had resigned at 7:33 p.m. just after the board ended a special meeting at which the board unanimously voted to move forward with filing formal administrative charges to remove Longo from his seat.
The district has already removed Longo’s name from its website.
Longo. 46, who sometimes uses the last name Barr, was arrested by state police on June 18 and charged with four counts endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, according to state police.
He then appeared via video in federal court in front of Magistrate Judge Miraslav Luvnic on June 20 on charges of receiving and possessing child sex acts, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III, Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone and New York State Police Superintendent Steven James.
“As school board vice president, the defendant was entrusted by parents and the community to help protect and serve the interests of children,” Sarcone said in a statement. “Instead, as alleged, he exploited his position of public trust while actively seeking out and accumulating images and videos depicting the heinous sexual abuse of children.
“This shocking betrayal makes his conduct all the more reprehensible.”
More on Longo
Longo was elected to a three-year term on the school board in 2024.
He is also a co-owner of the coffee shop and store H. Grey Supply Co. in Cazenovia, a drag queen who performs under the name Anita Buffem and a leader in the group Cazenovia Pride. Longo’s Facebook profile and a separate profile for Anita Buffem claim that Longo is the first drag performer in the country to be elected to public office.
Cazenovia Pride has released a statement canceling the Pride Festival scheduled for later this month and announcing that it has dissolved in the wake of Longo’s arrest.
“Travis (Barr) Longo’s involvement in many local organizations,” the school board wrote in a June 23 letter to the community, “shows how deeply betrayed our entire community is in the wake of his arrest on June 18.”
About the state police arrest
The state police’s Troop D Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Oneida received a law enforcement referral that led to a joint investigation by the bureau, by Troop D’s Computer Crime Unit by the state police Special Investigations Unit and by the Madison County Child Advocacy Center.
Investigators determined that Longo allegedly engaged in a pattern of sexually explicit communications with a child under the age of 12, leading to his arrest, according to state police.
After his arrest, Longo was taken to Madison County CAP Court for centralized arraignment.
Investigators suspect that Longo may have contacted additional victims and are asking anyone with additional information to call the Troop D Headquarters at 315-366-6000 and to reference case number NY2600762245.
Federal charges
State police seized Longo’s cell phone after his arrest on June 18, according to the complaint filed against him in federal court. Numerous images and videos of child sex acts were allegedly found on the phone during a search, according to federal authorities.
Those videos allegedly included several depicting the sexual abuse of infants that he had received from other users on an internet-based messaging app, the complaint said.
The charge of receiving child sex acts carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison if Longo is convicted, according to federal authorities. Both that charge and the possession charge carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
If Longo is convicted, both charges also would also carry a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to the rest of his life after he is released from prison.
If convicted, Longo would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the state police Computer Crime Unit are investigating the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Operation Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
About the school district reaction
Superintendent Kevin Linck put out a statement on June 19, shortly after the district learned about Longo’s arrest.
He informed the public that Longo had been barred from school grounds and from any district events. The district had already retained legal counsel to review the matter and advise the school board on the appropriate immediate steps to be taken.
In a letter from the school board to the community on June 20, the board announced that it had held a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. the previous day at which it unanimously agreed pursue the process to demand Longo’s resignation as the fastest way to get him off the board.
If Longo didn’t resign by noon on Monday, June 22, the board would immediately pursue his removal under proceedings specified in New York State Education Law, the letter said.
Longo did not resign by the deadline, the board announced in another letter dated June 22. State law allows three methods for removing an elected school board member, the letter noted: a resignation, an official removal order issued by the commissioner of the New York State Education Department or a formal administrative hearing before an independent hearing officer.
At a special meeting on June 22, the board unanimously approved a resolution to move forward with the third option, which is generally faster than the removal order process.
But Longo resigned after the meeting, removing the need for a hearing, the letter written on June 23 said.
Any threat to Cazenovia students?
In its June 23 letter, the school board noted that school board members do not spend time alone in the schools with students.
It specifically noted that:
Help for the community
The school board recognized the toll Longo’s arrest has taken on the community and promised ongoing support in its June 23 letter.
“We want to assure our families that mental health and emotional supports will remain actively in place for any student who may need assistance,” the board wrote. “The emotions felt by those who are directly or indirectly impacted by what has taken place are very real and support for those affected is vital.
“In addition to our dedicated school psychologists, social workers and counselors who work in our buildings every day, the district is coordinating specialized support resources through both Madison and Onondaga Counties to provide extra care,” the letter continues. “If you are aware that your child may be in need of these services, please reach out to the school building your child attends.”
“This is an incredibly heartbreaking experience for our entire community. It is our profound hope that our students always remain the center of our attention, especially at a time of year when they have earned their ceremonies and celebrations.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Child sex images prompt Cazenovia school board VP to resign from board
Reporting by Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
