Bivona program preceded charges against school principal

Earlier this year, staffers of Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester worked with the Hilton School District to educate students about sexual abuse.

Not long after, pupils began speaking out against their elementary school principal, Kirk Ashton. Ashton was suspended from his duties and was arraigned Wednesday on charges of abusing at least nine students.

“Members of Bivona were in the school just prior to the allegations completing education program which likely resulted in people coming forward,” New York State Police Maj. Barry Chase said during a press conference on Thursday.

Law enforcement officials said Thursday that the abuse allegedly occurred in Northwood Elementary School during school hours.

Now Bivona is playing a central role in counseling students, parents and teachers. The center issued a statement saying it was “working with the Hilton Central School District to provide interpersonal safety prevention education to students in the district.”

With a mission of responding to, healing and preventing child abuse, the nonprofit center serves 2,000 children a year.

It has drawn support from such funders as the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, United Way, the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

In its 2019 tax returns, Bivona reported $2.6 million in revenues and $7.8 million in assets.