ACCUSED TEACHER FOUND DEAD (Charged with raping underage student, he apparently shoots himself in parked car in Laurelton, police say)

PFMLIT General, SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS IN POSITIONS OF TRUST, TEACHERS SCHOOL STAFF

Newsday/Deborah S. Morris and Rocco Parascandola

Lawrence Major, a 45 year old Crown Heights gym teacher facing the specter of prison on chargesthat he raped an underage student, was found dead Friday morning shortly before 7 a.m. sittingbehind the wheel of a car parked on a Laurelton street, the victim of an apparent suicide. He wasfound sitting upright with a bullet would to the face and a 20-gauge shotgun between his legs.Major was arrested Wednesday and accused of engaging in a three-year sexual relationship with afemale student that began in 2002 when she was 14. He had been charged with second and third degreerape, as well as child endangerment. The relationship ended after police were notified in April. Ifhe was convicted, he faced 7 years in prison and would have been required to register as a sexoffender. He was free on $25,000 bail.

(New York)