CEO of acclaimed test prep program takes leave after sexual abuse allegation
/
a Khan’s tutorial location in ozone park. google maps
By David Brand
The head of an acclaimed academic program with several sites in Queens has taken a leave of absence during an investigation into a claim that he sexually assaulted a former staff member.
Dr. Ivan Khan, the CEO of Khan’s Tutorial, announced his decision to step aside from the tutoring and test prep company on June 29 after an anonymous Instagram account accused him of groping a young woman’s breast and thighs and kissing her neck inside his car without her consent.
Khan has denied the allegation and the company has hired a third-party firm to investigate the claims.
“Let me state clearly that the entire story about me was fabricated from start to finish,” Khan said in a statement posted on his Instagram account. “I completely and entirely deny the false allegations that were made anonymously against me and my family on social media.”
“Regardless, I understand the nature and severity of these claims nonetheless warrant action on my part and the part of the company,” he continued.
Khan’s Tutorial hired the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney to investigate the accusations and Khan said he had “voluntarily stepped aside” as CEO during the probe. The company has sites in Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Astoria, Sunnyside, Ozone Park and Floral Park, as well as other parts of New York City.
“Not once and not ever, before an anonymous, since-deleted social media post last week, have I ever given anyone a reason to doubt my personal conduct, reputation, or my character,” he wrote.
Khan directed the Eagle to the statement when contacted by phone July 17. An anonymous Medium article also detailed the allegation, Khan’s response and the reaction on social media.
The allegations against Khan were posted on the Instagram account @tellingmy_truth, which billed itself as a platform for people to share experiences of abuse anonymously.
The account posted statements from someone identifying themselves as a young woman who once worked for Khan’s Tutorial. She wrote that Khan invited her to take a drive in order to discuss her wardrobe, which had received complaints for being too revealing. During their time alone in the car, Khan groped her, according to the since-deleted @tellingmy_truth post.
“I was already terrified because of the thought that I’d be fired for being unprofessional but at this point I just froze,” the user wrote. Eventually, the account said, she asked to return to work and Khan drove her back.
The post received at least 3,540 likes and generated several comments before the original account was deleted.
In a separate post, the @tellingmy_truth account accused Khan of supplying alcohol for staff members who are under 21.
Screenshot shared with the Eagle
Screenshot shared with the Eagle
The account was deactivated soon after posting the statements about Khan. The person now managing the handle said they recently started the account and were not aware of the previous owner’s posts.
Khan’s Tutorial, which calls itself “NYC’s #1 tutoring center,” was founded in 1994 by Khan’s father. The company is popular among families in Queens’ Bangladeshi communities and provides test prep for the city’s Specialized High School Admissions Test. Khan and his company have been recognized by various media outlets and education groups.
Khan’s Tutorial spokesperson Paulina Baltazar said the company is taking the claims “very seriously” and has hired the law firm to investigate.
“While Dr. Khan categorically denies the accusations, we still take these allegations very seriously and have brought in the independent, third-party investigator to look into the claims made so as to ensure the safety of our students and the comfort and confidence of our families,” Baltazar said. “This will be an external, thorough and impartial investigation conducted by attorneys from the national law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC.”
Baltazar said the company’s director of high school services, Tasneem Imam Khan, will take over day-to-day leadership during Khan’s leave, “per the request of many Khan’s Tutorial staff members.”
“Upon completion of the investigation, the findings from the investigation will be communicated and from there the appropriate decision will be made with regards to Dr. Khan’s returning to the company,” she said. “Our number one priority is the safety and confidence of every single staff member, parent and student on our online platform.”
