Police: Former coach recorded student in bathroom

MERIDEN — Police say a 23year-old former O.H. Platt High School coach has been accused of recording a student while they were changing in the bathroom.

Daniel Barillaro Jr. turned himself in on Tuesday after a warrant had been issued for his arrest, Meriden police said. Barillaro was charged with voyeurism after police said a student said he recorded them with his cellphone inside a school bathroom.

He was released on $5,000 bond and is due to appear in state Superior Court in Meriden on Feb. 22.

Police said Barillaro was placed on leave from the Meriden school district after the student reported the incident. The school district’s website listed Barillaro as an assistant swim coach.

“The Meriden Police Department would like to acknowledge the bravery of this student to come forward and report this incident,” Lt. Darrin McKay said in a news release Wednesday.

In a news conference, Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati said Barillaro is no longer employed with the school system.

He described Barillaro as a longtime city resident and confirmed he underwent a background check before being hired, a routine practice for all school employees.

“I’ve been in touch with school officials and police officials as well to ensure that, first off, the student has the support they need as well as any other student or anyone that feels any threat,” Scarpati said.

Scarpati said he had no other information about Barillaro’s employment history, including when he was hired and his responsibilities as a coach.

Police have not said whether Barillaro was also a teacher in the school district.

McKay said the department’s Special Crimes Unit began investigating the voyeurism allegation last month after the student reported the incident to school officials. Scarpati described the victim as a female student but officials have not released her age.

The student said they “observed a cellular phone recording in a bathroom while they were getting prepared to change after practice,” McKay said in Wednesday’s news release.

At the press conference, Scarpati said he was not sure if a recording was made during the incident and clarified that the student noticed the phone prior to getting changed.

Police said they identified Barillaro as a suspect and seized his phone.

Police said a review of his phone revealed “no additional acts of voyeurism” or other victims, the news release said.