Friends call Greece teacher a ‘wonderful man’

Those close to the former Greece teacher who was acquitted last week of sexual abuse charges say that he is not the person the public may view him to be.

He’s tolerant, welcoming, warm-hearted and family-oriented, friends say.

 Barry Morris had an “illustrious career” as a teacher at Greece for 35 years, serving 19 of those years at West Ridge Elementary School.

“He’s a very very tolerant individual, and I think that this broke his tolerance. He was a rock, and you saw this rock crumble,” said family friend Matt Dennis.

Last Wednesday, jurors decided they didn’t believe the testimony of a 15-year-old girl who accused Morris of sexually abusing her and acquitted Morris on all charges.

The trial lasted only three days and hinged on the 15-year-old’s testimony. The girl, who was 12 at the time of the three incidents she was accusing Morris of, reported the alleged abuse two years later.

“I didn’t tell anyone because I was scared; it was uncomfortable,” she said. The alleged victim was soft-spoken and showed no emotion on the stand.

The Greece Post is not identifying the alleged victim due to the sensitive nature of the case and her age.

After the verdict, Morris’ defense lawyer Samuel Caruso Jr. said he was not surprised a bit.

“You hope that the jury is the last line of defense for an innocent man,” he said.

Caruso said he and Morris have been working on the case for the last 15 months. The case has taken a toll on both Morris and his wife, Caruso said.

“You can only imagine that their life has been turned upside down. They’re been captive in their own home and community ... reputation is a difficult thing to rebuild; it’s a process,” he said.

Assistant District Attorney Sara Van Strydonck, who did not return calls seeking comment on the verdict, said in her closing statement that the victim was entirely credible because of her details, minuscule inconsistencies and her demeanor.

“Why should you believe (the victim)?” she asked the jury in her closing statement. “In determining why you should listen to (her), use your common sense ... think about what she had to do to get here.”

After Morris was accused of the sexual abuse more than a year ago, family and friends were shocked, appalled and devastated.

“There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was absolutely false. I was wondering: ‘Who could do such a thing?’” Dennis said. “Everyone’s got skeletons in their closet, and this was just one guy who didn’t.”

Cory Pampalone, who was close friends with one of Morris’ sons, agreed.

“Any natural person would think about if this did happen: ‘Could you trace it to any suspicious activity?’ Every time, I came to the same conclusion — it didn’t make sense,” he said.

Dennis, who had Morris as a teacher at Kirk Road Elementary School, said the trial and accusations were the most difficult experiences Morris had to face in his life.

“It looked like someone just sucked the life out of him, and took the life away,” Dennis said.

A longtime friend of the family, who asked not to be identified because of his relationship to the case, called the Morris’s home like a “safe haven” for children in the community.

“It was my second home. I probably spent more, if not the same amount, of time at Barry’s home,” he said.

One of his daughters had Morris as a teacher and he wished his younger daughter could have had Morris as a teacher as well.

“I jumped up and down with the ‘not guilty’ verdict,” he said.

Dennis said that Morris was hoping to teacher another year, but felt pressure to retire early.

Terry Randazzo knows Morris through her son Pampalone.

The Morrises were like parents to her son, she said. Her daughter, Alisha, was tutored by Barry in his home.

Randazzo said Morris is a highly intelligent man who loved teaching and his students.
“He’s a wonderful person,” she said.

Friends are hoping that Morris’s experience with the school and earlier reputation will beat out his recent notoriety. But Randazzo wonders how easy that will be.

“I don’t know how he’s ever going to get it back,” Randazzo said.