John Jay College’s Stephen Handelman made intern ‘sexual play toy’: lawsuit

A John Jay College of Criminal Justice intern was turned into a “sexual play toy” by a boss nearly 50 years her senior, she claimed in a lawsuit.

When she tried to stop the affair with the married Stephen Handelman, 74, he said it “felt too good to end it,” the woman said in court papers.

Identified only as Jane Doe, the accuser “was abused, exploited and was turned into a sexual play toy for her boss,” according to the Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit against John Jay and Handelman, who heads the school’s Center on Media, Crime and Justice and online criminal justice news service, The Crime Report.

Handelman was put on paid leave Thursday while John Jay investigates, a spokesman told The Post. Handelman did not return a message.

After her 2017 hire, Handelman pressured the then 22-year-old unpaid intern for sex for months, she claimed, giving her raises and introducing her to other journalists.

“It would feel so good to go to bed with you,” a drunk Handelman once swooned, according to the woman, who said he offered to pay her rent.

She gave in for fear of angering him during a June 2018 business trip, during which Handelman laid down on her hotel bed with two glasses of wine, she claimed.

Jane Doe ended the relationship in August 2018. She reported it to John Jay, which ordered Handelman not to contact her — a directive he violated repeatedly before she quit, she charged.

The now suicidal Jane Doe, 27, is seeking unspecified damages.

“The safety and security of all of our students, faculty and staff is paramount,” a John Jay spokesman said.