New York, NY – An 18-year-old Yale University student from Michigan has been charged with sexual abuse after authorities say he sexually assaulted a woman aboard a crowded New York City subway train while she was traveling with her four young children, according to the NYPD.
Ari Shtein, a self described fan of “classic liberalism” was arrested in connection with the June 28 incident on an uptown R train approaching the West 28th Street station in Manhattan. According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the 30-year-old victim was riding with her four children, all younger than 11, when the alleged assault occurred around 3 p.m.
Prosecutors describe alleged random attack
Prosecutors allege Shtein approached the woman from behind and forcibly inserted two fingers into her vagina while she was unable to move away because of the crowded subway car. Authorities said the woman’s children witnessed the alleged assault.
According to a police source cited in reports, the victim told investigators that Shtein later said he was “surprised when she reacted angrily to what he did.”
Shtein has been charged with sexual abuse in connection with the incident. Court records show he was arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Released without bail
During the arraignment, prosecutors asked the court to set $10,000 bond, arguing Shtein posed a potential flight risk because of his ties to Michigan, where he grew up, and Connecticut, where he attends Yale University.
The judge released Shtein without bail pending further court proceedings.
According to prosecutors, Shtein forced his hand down a 30-year-old woman’s underwear on an uptown R train while she was traveling with four children. He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court and released without bail, and subsequently pleaded not guilty to the charges. Shtein’s defense attorney, Priya Chaudhry, denied the allegations in a statement to People Magazine, calling them false
Who is Ari Shtein?
According to his public LinkedIn profile, Ari Shtein is an 18-year-old Yale University student based in New Haven, Connecticut, who describes himself as a supporter of “classical liberalism” and says he hopes to pursue a career in journalism and writing.
Shtein has served as an editorial intern at the libertarian think tank Reason Foundation since May, where he says his work includes “pitching, researching, reporting, and writing.” He has also written as an opinion columnist for the Yale Daily News since August 2025.
Before attending Yale, Shtein participated in the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Teen Fellowship program, which focuses on Jewish philosophy and public life, and worked as a student researcher at the University of Michigan’s Materials Science and Engineering department during the summer of 2024. His research on resistive random access memory (ReRAM) was funded by the university’s Center for Materials Innovation and culminated in a symposium presentation.
On his personal website and LinkedIn profile, Shtein says he values “classical liberalism” and “sanity” in political discourse and has an interest in journalism, public policy, and data visualization.
Shtein served as an editor for Yale’s conservative newspaper
Beyond his work with the Yale Daily News, Shtein served as Opinions Editor for The Buckley Beacon, the publication of Yale University’s Buckley Institute, a conservative campus organization.
His writing focused heavily on politically divisive issues and conservative campus activism. Among his published articles were “The Conservative Civil War Is Coming to Campus,” which argued that ideological divisions within the conservative movement would reshape college politics, “Pro-Life ‘Vita et Veritas’ Conference Brings 110 Students From 20 Schools to Yale,” highlighting an anti-abortion conference, and “So Some Yale Professors Are in the Epstein Files,” discussing the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and defending two Yale professors mentioned in the files.
Shtein also wrote columns criticizing Yale’s administrative bureaucracy, questioning efforts to rebuild public trust in higher education, and reflecting on Jewish identity, religion, and politics. His work consistently examined campus politics, free speech, conservative activism, and cultural debates from a conservative and classical liberal perspective.
What happens next
The criminal case will continue in Manhattan Criminal Court. As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Shtein is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Related: New York City subway, Manhattan, Sexual assault, Yale University
The allegations are based on statements made by prosecutors in court and information released by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The case remains pending.
