New Windsor, NEW YORK

Both sentenced.

May 31, 2007 - Police arrested Rebecca Becker, 28, a teacher at the McQuade Kaplan School. She was charged with rape, criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child. Also arrested was Maria Zurita, 28, a teacher's aide, who is charged with rape and endangering the welfare of a child. Both are accused of having sex with students from the troubled teen school.

From the McQuade website: "McQuade's Kaplan School provides special education and behavioral health services year-round for 84 boys who are emotionally disturbed, ages 8-17. Forty-four of the students live at the Kaplan Campus in our residential treatment program and the other 40 students live at home with their families, but attend the Kaplan School daily for their educational needs as well as individual and family therapy. As a regional organization, we accept Hudson Valley students referred by NYS departments of social services, family courts, or school districts."

The boys, both 16-years old, could not be located on Memorial Day weekend. They were later found at the home of the teacher's aide where sexual activity is alleged. McQuade also reportedly discovered numerous letters written by one of the teachers to one of the male residents. The contents of these letters were sexually explicit and inappropriate, authorities said.


(Becker, shown above left. Zurity, shown above right.)

June 1 - Both have been fired.

June 13 - The case against the two teachers will be going to a grand jury. No date was given. They are due back in court on September 11.

INDICTED: July 28 - Both Becker and Zurita, were charged by a grand jury with third-degree rape, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. In addition, Becker was charged with two counts third-degree criminal sexual act.

GUILTY PLEA: Sept 24 - Becker pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced in November. She could receive up to six months in the Orange County Jail and up to 10 years probation.
The district attorney’s office is hoping she will cooperate in the case against Zurita, and if she does, her sentence could be reduced.

SENTENCING DELAYED Nov 30 - Sentencing for Becker was delayed until after the trial of Maria Zurita, 28, who was arrested along with Becker in June by New Windsor police. Becker didn't sign a formal plea-bargain deal with prosecutors, but her lawyer, John Ingrassia of Middletown, acknowledged today that "she may be called as a witness" during Zurita's trial.
Becker cut a deal that calls for a maximum sentence of six months in jail and 10 years' probation as a sex offender.

TRIAL DELAYED Jan 29, 2008 - Zurita's trial was postponed until Feb 4. There were problems in serving a supoena for the victim to appear. The boy has a lawyer who argued that a mailed subpoena was defective because a copy wasn't mailed to the boy's mother, and because a mailed copy showed the return address of the district attorney's office and wasn't marked "personal and confidential."

The judge said that if prosecutors can't supoena the boy by the February date, they may have to ask DeRosa to order the teen to show up, and he could be placed in custody if he's deemed a risk to flee.

JURY SELECTION Feb 4 - Jury selection began in Zarita's trial. A plea agreement had been reached but was abruptly called off by an angry judge who ordered the trial to begin.

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED Feb 5 - The judge ordered the teenager arrested when he failed to show up in court. The material witness order and the arrest warrant will allow prosecutors to place the boy in custody so that he'll be available to testify. Rebecca Becker took the witness stand.

STATUTORY RAPE CHARGE DISMISSED Feb 7 - The judge dismissed the statutory rape charge against Zurita because the victim refused to testify. She still faces a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

GUILTY VERDICT Feb 8 - The jury found Zurita guilty of endangering the welfare of a child.

April 18 - Students at New Visions class at Orange-Ulster BOCES have been following the case.

Those kids are in McQuade because they're troubled," said Amber Becker, a New Visions student from Chester. "Those teachers knew that they were unstable already, and they took advantage of that."

Zurita's defense lawyer wants the judge to set aside the jury verdict that found her guilty of a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. He contends that when DeRosa dismissed a statutory rape charge against Zurita, the judge also eliminated any reason for the jury to find that Zurita had endangered the boy.

Zurita's due back in court on May 5. Becker will be sentenced on May 21. She pleaded guilty to statutory rape, but she could avoid jail time because she testified against Zurita.

May 22 - Beckner was sentenced to three months in jail - not prison, followed by ten years of probation. She will be required to register as a sex offender for 20 years. She will never teach again.

Zurita was sentenced recently to one year in jail - not prison.

West Hartford, CONNECTICUT

Back in court for failure to comply with probation.

Oct 5, 2007 - Matthew Glasser, 31, a Northwest Catholic High School music teacher, pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and tampering with a witness.

Police arrested him in June 2005 and charged him with eight counts of second-degree sexual assault for a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student. Police charged Glasser under a provision of state law that deals with sexual relations between teachers and students.

School officials, according to the warrant, learned of the affair in early May 2005 after the girl feared that she might be pregnant. The girl, according to the warrant, had known Glasser for years. He had been her teacher at St. Thomas School, an elementary school in West Hartford.

He is expected to be sentenced to 10 years' probation on Oct 17. The plea agreement calls for registration as a sex offender.
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SENTENCED (sorta) Oct 17 - Glasser was sentenced to seven years SUSPENDED and five years of probation. The victim was unwilling to testify. He forfeits his right to teach in Connecticut schools. He must register as a sex offender.

When police arrested him and searched his apartment, they took his Spiderman pillowcases and a stuffed frog from his bed. The victim identified them.
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PAROLE VIOLATION - Feb 20, 2008 - Glasser has returned to court, accused of violating the conditions of his probation , including deactivating his MySpace account and e-mail address and finding a place to live approved by his probation officer. His probation restricts him from having any Internet access and requires Glasser to live an adequate distance from minors or public places - such as high schools - where children are present.

Glasser also dismissed the conditions of his probation during one meeting, saying, "My family has taken the stance that I did not commit the offense that I was arrested for and I did nothing illegal," the affidavit says.

At a later meeting, he asked Mandeville-McGeough, "If I become your pal, would I get privileges?"Prosecutor Sandra Tullius said the state also is concerned that Glasser was giving piano lessons to a 13-year-old girl.

His lawyer says that Glasser had two jobs: one in which he sets up sound equipment for concerts and another with the Connecticut Criminal Law Foundation. He will return to court March 7 for a hearing on the violation of probation charge. Later Glasser told his probation officer that he did not understand the conditions of his probation because he has a "learning disability."
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VIOLATION OF PROBATION HEARING March 15 - The hearing is in the second day.
The hearing expected to resume on March 25.

TO PRISON March 31 - After a hearing, a judge ruled that Glasser violated the terms of his probation and ordered the Tolland man held without bond pending a June 3 sentencing.

He failed to find a place to live that was an adequate distance from schools and parks where minors frequent, according to the arrest warrant affidavit filed by his probation officer. He also continued to maintain his Internet and e-mail accounts, including a MySpace account, although the court prohibited him from having online access, the affidavit said.

"He is not following the conditions," Judge Edward J. Mullarkey Mullarkey said.

Apr 1 - One of the violations was failing to delete his e-mail and MySpace website accounts. Glasser tried to deceive the system when he transferred those Internet accounts to his father, Judge Edward J. Mullarkey said.

Because Glasser is a registered sex offender, Mullarkey said, he should be housed by the state Department of Correction with other sex offenders for his own safety.

Raleigh, NORTH CAROLINA

CHARGES DROPPED AFTER VICTIM'S FAMILY REFUSED TO COOPERATE.

Mar 2, 2007 - Justin Scranton, 33, an English teacher and coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School, was arrested, accused of improper sexual conduct with a female student.

Scranton has been suspended pending the police investigation.

News14 reports the allegations came to light after a 17-year-old female student came forward to school officials.

Full Name: Justin David Scranton

Mar 6 - In search warrants investigators suggest at least one other teacher at the school may have known about inappropriate activity prior to Scranton's arrest. In the warrant, Scranton admitted to police of acting inappropriately with the student, and sending text-messages to the girl. The warrant also states that Scranton had been warned of his actions by a fellow teacher.

Video report at site says Scranton's next court appearance is Mar 21.
Search Warrant here.

Jan 10, 2008 - Prosecutors dropped the charges after the family of the victim refused to cooperate.

The victim’s family initially met with prosecutors on the case, said Fran Kennedy, a legal assistant with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.

Kennedy and Jeff Cruden, the assistant prosecutor handling the case, called and sent the family letters after that but never heard from the family, Kennedy said.

“We’ve gotten no response whatsoever and just complete refusal,” Kennedy said.

CHARGES DROPPED VICTIM'S FAMILY REFUSED TO COOPERATE.

Willingboro, NEW JERSEY

When she's old enough to be your mother.

June 16, 2007 - Tanja Petties, 39, a teacher's aide at Willingboro High School, was sentenced to 364 days in jail and five years' probation after pleading guilty to official misconduct.

She was charged in September 2005 with official misconduct, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault. The sex charges were dropped in the plea agreement because the 16-year-old, who is now 18, was reluctant to testify in public.

TT - If we are ever to reduce teacher-student sex, there has to be some financial burden on teachers and aides. Perhaps an employment agreement for aides that will acknowledge guidelines against sex with students and bond agreement for good behavior. As it is now, teachers get union-supplied attorneys. No financial cost there.

Brownsville, TEXAS

October 2006 -- In a case that illustrates the difficulty of prosecuting sexual abuse charges, Samantha Drash, a Pace High School teacher, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a male student.

On Aug. 24, Villalobos had said if an agreement could not be reached with Drash and her attorney within two weeks, the case would go before a jury.

As of Monday, no agreement had been reached and no trial date had been set.
Villalobos said there is not timetable when it comes to justice.

“Because of the difficulties with the parents and the victim we are still trying to get some concessions from the defendant,” Villalobos said.

The concessions include Drash giving up her teaching certificate and removing herself from coming into contact with young boys.

She was scheduled to go to trial in May, but the family at that time and today is refusing to cooperate with authorities.

Nov 23, 2006 - no updates. No online info available.
Nov 28, 2006 - Case was dismissed. Could be refiled if victim agrees to testify.