MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — A Middletown High School math teacher is suspended — with pay — from his job, the district superintendent said at Thursday's school board meeting.

The announcement of the suspension of Jonathan Castell, 45, came six days after a Facebook catfishing video began making the rounds on July 27.

The video — posted by online activist group 'Team Loyalty Makes You Family' — shows a member of the group confronting a man believed to be Castell.

That member is identified online as New York City plumber Tony Blas.

Blas said he posed as a 15-year-old girl who chatted on various online messaging platforms with Castell, eventually inviting Castell to meet in New York, possibly for sex.

When confronted, the man believed to be Castell began walking away as Blas followed him and peppered him with questions.

"I understand. I wasn't planning on doing anything," he said. "I just wanted to meet her. I wanted to see if she was for real." 

State Police arrested Castell on Tuesday after being notified by school officials about the video, and charged Castell with attempted endangering the welfare of a child, a class B misdemeanor.

Castell was due in court on Thursday.

A Wallkill Town Court clerk said Castell's attorney asked for — and was granted — adjournment until next Thursday, August 9.

"He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent," Castell's Chaucer Court neighbor Charles Petrone said upon learning of the video and the arrest.

Several of Castell's neighbors said they would usually see Castell sitting out front of his home, playing with his dog, and talking and texting on his phone.

Neighbors said on Thursday they have not seen much activity there this week, except for when police searched his house.

At Thursday's board meeting, Superintendent Richard Del Moro said his staff acted immediately upon learning about the video, which had accumulated more than 335,000 views as of Thursday evening.

"We notified all appropriate authorities, including the Middletown and Town of Wallkill Police Departments, as well as the New York State Police Department," Del Moro said.