Old Bridge, NEW JERSEY

SENTENCED  to five years probation. 

December 5, 2008 - Lisa Glide, 35, a drama teacher at Old Bridge High School in New Jersey, was arrested on charges that she has been having sex with one of her male students.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan says the teacher faces second-degree charges of sexual assault and child endangerment. The prosecutor's office has been investigating Glide since November 25th after they received tips regarding the sexual relationship. The student graduated in June.

Glide was released on $100,000 bail on December 5th. She is being represented by Robert Wills of Princeton, a contract attorney with the state teachers union.

Anyone with information related to the investigation are urged to contact Investigator Michael Daniewicz of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at 732-745-3600 or detective Michael Machen of the Old Bridge Police Department at 732-721-5600, Ext. 3210 anytime.

GUILTY PLEA June 2, 2009 - Lisa Glide pleaded guilty to fourth degree endangering the welfare of a child.

[She] agreed to give up her teaching certificate and not reapply for a teaching certificate in any public school New Jersey.

The agreement with the state also calls for Glide to be placed on up to five years of probation and receive mental health counseling as required by her probation officer. During her probation, she can have only supervised contact with males under the age of 18.

In return for the guilty plea, the state agreed to drop a second-degree sexual assault charge and reduce the degree of the endangering charge from third to fourth.

SENTENCED Aug 10, 2009 - Glide was sentenced to five years probation despite a request by the prosecution for a sentence of 364 days. "Glide told the judge if she was in better mental shape, "it never would have happened" and said she "shouldn't have even been teaching at the time."

Whippany, NEW JERSEY

November 3, 2008 - Brian Coar, 25, a Whippany Park High School math teacher, pleaded guilty to child endangerment for an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student. (picture at story.)

The charge will be dismissed once he completes three years in a pre-trial intervention program and does 200 hours of community service. Coar surrendered his teaching certificate and promised never to pursue a job in education.

Coar's attorney tried unsuccessfully to get Superior Court Judge Thomas V. Manahan to rule Coar's guilty plea could not be used in a civil case. The family of the girl have filed a notice of intent to sue.

Coar worked at the high school only for the 2007-08 school year.

Camden, NEW JERSEY

The theft was brazen. The principal of H.B. Wilson Elementary School, admitted yesterday that he deceived parents and teachers into paying more than $14,000 for school trips that were being paid for by the district. TT entry for Michael Hailey.

In one of the worst school districts in the country, the school rates a 1 (with 10 being highest) at GreatSchools.net Some 75% of the students are black, the rest are Hispanic. Most (70%) are poor and eligible for a free lunch. Camden, New Jersey, is one of the poorest (and most corrupt) cities in the U.S. And education is more lucrative than selling drugs.

The average per pupil expenditure is $20,077 - the highest in the nation.

The scam was simple. The principal, Michael Hailey, his top aide and others asked parents and students at the school to pay for field trips and other outings, knowing that the trips were to be financed by the school district. Then kept the money collected through fundraisers and donations. All three retired from the district after test scores were questioned.

Their other scam was to bill the state for $25,000 for extra wages for 14 School Leadership Council meetings that never took place. Three teachers lost their tenure for their role in that. Whether they were fired or not is unknown. No doubt, they retired.

TT entry for Michael Hailey, Patricia Johnson, Juanita Worthy and her daughter Keah Worthy. Only Johnson is white.
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ONLINE RESOURCE:
Legal decisions by the State of New Jersey Department of Education can be found here.
Decisions by the State Board of Examiners can be found here. (Certificate actions.)

Ocean City, NEW JERSEY

“When we reach a point in society when we as parents can no longer safely and reliably entrust our children to the care of those professionally responsible, we are bankrupt as a culture,” the judge said. “How does it stop? When does it stop?”

May 15, 2008 - Robert Dilullo, 24, a substitute at Ocean City High School, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and providing alcohol to a minor in connection with a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.

It is alleged that he had sex with a high school student beginning when she was 16. The relationship reportedly began in December 2006. Police said Dilullo raped the girl in August 2007, when he invited her to his Seaville home in Upper Township. Police said he gave her alcohol and raped her while she was inebriated and unconscious.

Dilullo now works as a restaurant cook. A counselor who learned of the incidents, earlier this month, reported them to the Division of Youth and Family Services, which reported them to the Cape May Co. Prosecutors Office.

Dilullo did not teach in the district this year, whether that was his choice or the district's choice. Police said they want to know if the accused teacher had sex with any other students.

GUILTY PLEA August 16 - Dilullo pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of a child in a nonsexual manner and agreed to never again seek employment as a teacher. The plea agreement also includes five years of probation along with 364 days in the Cape May County Jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 31.

SENTENCED October 31 - Superior Court Judge Raymond Batten sentenced to a year in jail for providing alcohol to a student. Dilullo will have to serve 77 of the 364 days before he is eligible for parole. He will not be allowed to teach again or serve in public office.

Assistant Prosecutor Matthew D. Weintraub repeated the allegation Friday that DiLullo had oral sex with the student at his Upper Township home. In a victim-impact statement, the girl, not identified in court, said DiLullo should have to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.

Judge Raymond Batten said cases in which authority figures have inappropriate relationships with minors are becoming all too prevalent in Cape May County. He said he sentenced DiLullo to the year term to deter other would-be criminals.

“When we reach a point in society when we as parents can no longer safely and reliably entrust our children to the care of those professionally responsible, we are bankrupt as a culture,” he said. “How does it stop? When does it stop?”

Monmouth Junction, NEW JERSEY

"It's fairly typical that teachers have been receiving this type of arrangement," Bevacqua said.

April 29, 2008 - Daniel Kerekes, 37, a South Brunswick High School gym teacher was arrested Saturday on charges that he was having sex with a female student. He was charged with second-degree sexual assault.

Kerekes has also served as the boys lacrosse coach at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
Full Name: Daniel W. Kerekes

Officials ask that anyone with information contact Detective James Ryan of the South Brunswick Police Department at 732-329-4646, or Investigator Raj Chopra of the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office Sex Crimes Unit at 732-745-3600.
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Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Press Release (dated April 28, 2008)

Information received by the principal at South Brunswick High School led the principal to contact the South Brunswick Police Department on Friday, April 25, 2008. As a result, a joint investigation commenced involving the South Brunswick Township Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit.

The investigation established that in the fall of 2007, Kerekes began engaging in a sexual relationship with a female student of South Brunswick High School.

May 1 - Packetonline reports on the school district responsiveness to the situation.

The investigation into the incident began on Friday, when SBHS Principal Tim Matheney contacted the South Brunswick Police Department.

”The staff became aware of a circumstance that was not of a sexual nature, but just didn’t sound right, and they realized it required further investigation,” Dr. McCartney said. “As soon as any idea of inappropriate behavior came to us the police were contacted and an investigation went forward.”

GUILTY PLEA July 31 - Kerekes pleaded guilty in Superior Court in New Brunswick Tuesday to endangering the welfare of a minor. During the plea hearing before Judge Frederick DeVesa, Kerekes admitted to having sexual relations with the 16-year-old girl at his home and at the school. Under the plea agreement, he will surrender his teaching certificate and will face a maximum three-year prison term when he is sentenced Oct. 17. He will not, however, be placed on the sex offender registry.

SENTENCED Oct 23 - Kerekes was sentenced to three years in prison. He was remanded into state custody following his sentencing by Superior Court Judge Frank DeVesa in New Brunswick on Oct. 17.

Mr. Kerekes will be able to apply for an early release into the county’s Intensive Supervision Program after he has served 60 days in prison and will not have to register himself on the sex offender registry, according to Assistant Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua.

Kerekes will have his teaching license permanently revoked.

From The Sentinel (Oct 23) :

"He pled to second-degree endangering for abuse involving a 16-year-old while he was basically in a supervisory position," Assistant County Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua said. State Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa sentenced Kerekes, a South River resident, to three years in state prison Friday. Bevacqua said the judge received a letter from the girl requesting that he not send Kerekes to prison.

The intensive supervisory program that would release him on parole after three to nine months in custody.

This punishment fits within an acceptable range for such cases, Bevacqua said.

"It's fairly typical that teachers have been receiving this type of arrangement," Bevacqua said.

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TT - The question is, Why are teachers receiving preferential treatment?

Phillipsburg, NEW JERSEY

Sentenced in Pennsylvania to 15 to 30 years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
Still to be sentenced in New Jersey.

Jan 24, 2008 - Keri Brekne, 28, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Lopatcong Township Middle School, was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at the teacher's home.

Brekne was arraigned on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors. Police said Brekne drove the victim from her home in New Jersey to Brekne's residence in Pennsylvania, where the assaults happened between last July and this month.

A preliminary is scheduled for Feb 1.
Full Name: Keri Ann Brekne or Keriann Brekne

Jan 25 - Warren County prosecutors filed separate charges of sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child by engaging in sexual conduct, aggravated criminal sexual assault and two counts of criminal sexual contact for incidents that allegedly occurred in Lopatcong Township between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2007.

Police said Brekne provided the girl with a cell phone so they could stay in contact. The girl's parents found the phone, which police said contained sexually explicit text messages. The girl told police where to find a sexual device in the bedroom of Brekne's Bethlehem home.

Brekne was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Gay L. Elwell of Easton and committed to Northampton County Prison under $75,000 bail. On the New Jersey charges, Superior Court Judge John H. Pursel set bail at $150,000.

Location is always the school location.

SUSPENDED Feb 20 - Brekne has been suspended with pay. Her salary is $46,012.

PLEA AGREEMENT Feb 29 - Brekne agreed at a hearing Friday before District Judge James Narlesky to plead guilty to five counts of aggravated indecent assault. She may plead guilty next month to sexual assault-related charges in New Jersey in connection with the same victim.

PLEA AGREEMENT REJECTED - March 28 - Brekne rejected a plea bargain Thursday calling for a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The charges in Warren County are now set to go before a grand jury.

The victim's father has called for the maximum sentence allowed, in both states.

"It infuriates us that Brekne's attorney comments that his client wants to get on with her life and put this behind her when in fact our child, our family and our community are forever impacted by her selfish, hideous and abusive acts we want to be sure she never has the opportunity to harm another child again," the 14-year-old's father told WFMZ-TV on Thursday. His name was withheld to protect the victim's identity.

GUILTY PLEA July 31 - In Northampton County, Brekne pleaded guilty to five counts of felony aggravated indecent sexual assault and faces an unlikely maximum of 50 years in prison. She admitted molesting the girl in her Bethlehem home.

Her sentencing in Northampton County is scheduled for Oct. 3, and she will be sentenced on the Warren County conviction sometime later. (Earlier this month, she pleaded guilty in Pennsylvania to five counts of aggravated indecent assault that each carry penalties of between 22 months and 10 years in prison.) She will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

Brekne has been in prison since a July 9 plea hearing when Northampton County Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden revoked her bail.

August 12 - Ann Brekne will officially lose her teaching position this evening during a meeting of the Lopatcong Township Board of Education.

SENTENCED October 11 - Brekne was sentenced in Pennsylvania to 15 to 30 years in prison.

''In 20 years on the bench, I have not seen a case as heinous as this one,'' Judge Kimberly McFadden said in a courtroom packed with about 85 supporters of the girl and her family and about 15 for Brekne.

Brekne will have to register as a sexual offender for the rest of her life, and she has surrendered her teaching certificate.

In New Jersey, she has also pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting the girl, and faces up to five to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced in three to six months, said Kevin Brotzman, a Warren County assistant prosecutor.

Perth Amboy, NEW JERSEY

June 9, 2008 - Demond Edwards, 25, a substitute teacher, was arrested Monday for sexually assaulting a student and for endangering the welfare of a child.

The sexual assault charges are related to accusations of engaging in a sexual relationship with one female student. He is also accused of sending inappropriate text messages to another female student.

Edwards has been a permanent substitute teacher at the Perth Amboy High School since October 2006. The investigation began Thursday after the state Department of Children and Families contacted the Prosecutors Office.

The school district reported the possible improper relationship to DYFS and city police, Perth Amboy Superintendent John M. Rodecker said.

"When we learned that there was a suspicion of improper conduct, we immediately notified the authorities,'' Rodecker said. "We're upset about it; we're very disturbed that this kind of behavior surfaces from time to time. But our record has indicated that we have no tolerance for that kind of behavior and we immediately take action against it.''

Anyone with information related to the investigation or any other matters related to Edwards' employment in Perth Amboy, Woodbridge or East Brunswick is asked to contact Investigator Raj Chopra of the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at (732) 745-3600 or Detective Kenneth Puccio of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 324-3871.

GUILTY PLEA August 19 - Edwards pleaded guilty today to child endangerment. The plea agreement assures that he will not spend more than 364 days in the Middlesex County jail - not prison. He will be sentenced October 3.

Irvington, NEW JERSEY

August 18, 2008 - Two contractors have pleaded guilty to offering bribes to former Irvington Mayor Michael Steele while he served as business administrator for Irvington Board of Education. (Double dipping in New Jersey is an artform.)

Michael Steele, 52, was indicted in June on bribery and official misconduct charges and has pleaded not guilty. He was accused of taking at least $120,000 in kickbacks connected to district contracts. He served as mayor from 1990 to 1994 and retired as the school business administrator in April.
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New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
Press Release (June 5, 2008) on Steele's indictment.
- Indictment PDF (434k)
- View Charts Listing Rigged Contracts and Kickbacks (73k & 56k PDFs)

New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
Press Release (August 18, 2008) on the guilty pleas of the two contractors.
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SCHOOL INFO: It's no surprise that the Irvington Township School District rates a 2 at GreatSchools.net for appalling test scores. The district has 8 schools with 7,253 students.

The high school rates 1 at GreatSchools.net
(High school is a good measure of the cumulative education of students in a district.)

Grade 11 - %age performing at or above grade level
Science
- This District = 11% State Average = 73%
Language Arts Literacy
- This District = 62% State Average = 85%
Math
- This District = 20% State Average = 73%

School population = 92% Black, 7% Hispanic
Students participating in free or reduced-price lunch program = 38%
(A surprisingly low figure.)

Attendance rate students = 89% Statewide = 94%

NCLB REPORT CARD
The Faculty Attendance Rate is found in the NCLB Report Card at the New Jersey Department of Education.
The rate is 94% in the high school. Statewide it is 96.1%.
Numbers of students per faculty member = 13.4

Number of teachers who have been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards = 0

Median Salary for Administration
This District = $102,107 (Statewide = $108,431)

Median Salary for Teachers
This District = $59,741 (Statewide = $55,550)

Total Cost per pupil
This District = $15,367 (State Average = $13,701)

Google Map

Be sure to read the parent reviews at GreatSchools. One student observed, "This school is not a learning enviornment, more like a teenage daycare. The children of Irvington have no future."

Administrative Salaries - NEW JERSEY

Until recently, the President of the United States was given a salary of $100,000. It's now up to $400,000, but School Superintendents in Burlington County, New Jersey, are gaining fast.

August 14, 2008 - The state issued a report on the salaries and benefits for all the top school administrators in New Jersey. In Burlington County, thirteen of Burlington County's 42 superintendents earned base salaries above $150,000 this year.

The Burlington County Times has a graphic with the salary figures AND current enrollment. They analyzed the data to reveal the average salary of a full-time superintendent in Burlington County was $141,023.
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TT - Compare that to the median income for a household in Burlington county that is $58,608, and the median income for a family of $67,481. (Source: Wikipedia) In 2000, the population of the county was 423,394.

ONLINE: The story doesn't link to the "Plain Language Summaries" from the New Jersey Department of Education. You can find it here.

The Excel spreadsheet is 1.9mb. The annual number of contracted work days for the administrators range from 200 to 260, with contracted vacation days that range from a low of 12 to an average of 20+. And then there are 12 to 20 sick days and Personal Days that run from 2 to 5 days.

The salaries are base salary. They do not include allowances, bonuses, stipends, contributions to insurance and health care, retirement plans and - buyback policies for unused sick days and opportunities to buyback unused vacation (leading to early retirement for many.) But such figures are included in the spreadsheet.

Camden City Schools are one of those school districts that has been taken either over by the state or on school watch , one of five at the last count. It is one district that frequently makes the news. (Links are internal to TT site.) Here Here Here They have three assistant superintendents, all of whom make $135,000 in one of the poorest districts in the country.

We've said it before: School administration is more lucrative than drugs, prostitution or extortion.

Newark, NEW JERSEY

August 11, 2008 -
Cesar J. Rivero, 34, a substitute teacher in Newark, was arrested after trying to set up a sexual encounter with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

He was charged with attempting to endanger the welfare of a minor, attempted luring and attempted sexual assault.

East Brunswick, NEW JERSEY

Time to update those yearbooks.
We have no idea why it took three years to sentence him.

July 20, 2008 -

Richard Walling, 50, described as "former East Brunswick councilman, disgraced teacher and local historian," was sentenced to 364 days in jail - not prison - in connection with his theft of $32,500 from the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, a volunteer group that works with the state park.

Walling, son of the late East Brunswick Mayor Jean Walling, pleaded guilty in August 2005 to theft. Walling served as the chief executive officer of the group at the time.

The 2005 guilty plea followed another case in which Walling was accused of harassing a 17-year-old female student from the East Brunswick campus of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools where he worked as a teacher. He allegedly sent 17 "sexual and annoying" text messages to her cell phone.

According to a police report, Walling admitted taking the student to a movie, buying her gifts and helping with a traffic summons by speaking to a prosecutor on her behalf.

In November 2004, Walling pleaded guilty to a downgraded disorderly conduct charge in the harassment case. He agreed to give up his teaching license and was ordered to undergo psychological evaluation. He was also fined $500.

Walling once served on the East Brunswick Township Council and Zoning Board.

ARRESTED (Again) July 31 - Walling has again been jailed on charges he violated probation related to a 2005 third-degree theft charge.

Walling was jailed for violating his probation in 2006, when he was charged with failure to report and failure to provide change of address information to authorities. He served 50 days in jail.

According to [Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Brian] Gillet, Walling will likely serve about six months of his jail sentence this time, due to the two months' credit he has accrued from his previous time in the detention center. At the time of his release, his probation will be terminated

At the time of his trial, Walling told the judge that his mental state had been adversely affected by sexual harassment charges filed against him by a former teenage student of his in 2004, and the negative attention they garnered.

A trial by your peers

A jury trial by your peers is bound to lead to problems when you live in New Jersey.

"Rarely had there been such a chasm between how the government and a judge viewed the same case." - Star-Ledger

Feb 29, 2008 - Trying to find a jury for a 2-3 month trial of Newark Mayor Sharpe James hasn't been easy for the court as two people told U.S. District Judge William Martini they didn't want to leave their jobs for the two-to-three month duration of the trial even though they would still receive their salaries. One included a teacher to whom the judge lectured.

About 90 minutes later, Martini interviewed a Ridgewood music teacher, who said although his school district would continue to pay his salary, he didn't feel comfortable being away from his students' lessons and performances.

``A big part of our educational system is teaching students the importance of civic duty,'' Martini gently reminded the Pompton Plains resident.
``I would feel more comfortable being there,'' the potential juror told the judge, who unsuccessfully tried to change his mind.

``Explain that to the political science teachers in your school system. I mean that,'' Martini said as he excused the teacher.

TT - It's New Jersey, for God's sake! These people voted for Sharpe James. Lecturing them about civic responsibility is a wasted effort. James, is also a Democratic state Senator. [Holding two elected offices has been a tradition in N.J.]

SENTENCED (Sorta) July 31, 2008 - Sharpe James was sentenced to prison for 27 months at a (as described by the New York Times,)

simmering five-hour hearing in which he rebuked the prosecution for “heartlessly” adhering to a bureaucratic form of justice. The prosecution had asked for 20 years.

BIZARRE comments by the judge.

In rendering the sentence, Judge William J. Martini of United States District Court blistered the prosecution, saying he was “shocked and disappointed” by the sentencing request and questioning the contention that the James administration had been corrupt for years.

“Don’t talk about a history of corruption unless you can prove it,” Judge Martini, a former Republican congressman, scolded Judith H. Germano, the chief prosecutor in the case. “I don’t want to hear these allegations of a corrupt administration, he’s all-powerful, he didn’t do any good. I’m supposed to throw out the history of a man’s life for misconduct he committed at age 69?”

TT - Well, actually, you should. A lifetime of service is no defense in a criminal court and it should not be a factor in sentencing, not if there is equal justice under our laws. Otherwise, public service is a license to break the law. Federal sentencing guidelines called for a prison term of between roughly 10 to 15 years, according to a report by the U.S. Probation Department.

Judge Martini was a one-term Congressman who was appointed to the Federal court in 2002 by President Bush.

See Parole Board member praises Sharpe James as role model (July 25)
See Asbury Park press editorial calling for a long sentence for James. (July 26)
See Parole board member once worked as aide to Mayor James (July 28
See The Record editorial "Editorial: Catch and release" (July 31)

See Cast of characters in the trial of ex-Newark mayor
One of James' attorneys is married to author and columnist Anna Quindlen. The other defended top aide to James, Jackie R. Mattison, in 1997. Mattison got 41 months in federal prison for accepting $17,000 in bribes to steer city contracts to an insurance broker, who was also convicted. Other clients included men convicted of being mobsters. [Mattison was also a New Jersey State Assemblyman during that period that he was Chief of Staff for James.)

See James sentence points to shift in Judiciary (Star-Ledger) (July 30)

Rarely had there been such a chasm between how the government and a judge viewed the same case. James and his attorneys walked out of court almost like victors, while U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie vowed to appeal the sentence, something his office does only a few times each year.

See In Newark, More Weariness Than Anger at Sentence (NYTimes) (July 31)

North Caldwell, NEW JERSEY

Mar 23, 2007 - Michelle Morano, 33, English teacher from West Essex High School has been arrested and charged with having a sexual relationship with a male student that began last year when he was 17.

According to a news release issued by the Attorney General's office, Morano's involvement with the student came to light when the Office of Insurance Fraud was conducting an unrelated investigation at the school.

New Jersey Attorney General Press Release dated Mar 23, 2007

NOT GUILTY PLEA Apr 4 - Morano pleaded not guilty. The student made the allegations while under investigation in an auto theft ring involving students at the school. (He was never charged with any offense.) The state Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor filed the sexual assault complaint after interviewing the student during the course of the auto theft investigation.
Morano is married with two children. She has been suspended with pay. She posted $200,000 bail shortly after her arrest. Her attorney says, "She's confident that when all the facts are known, she will be exonerated."

SENTENCED (sorta) July 25, 2008 - Morano pleaded guilty last month to twice having sex with a 17-year-old special education student beginning in late 2006. Morano was sentenced to three years' probation instead of the one-year jail term sought by a prosecutor.

"There is a difference between justice and vengeance," said lowercase judge Donald J. Volkert Jr. said as he sentenced Michelle Morano, who sat before him with her head bowed.

The mother said her family had been pleased that Morano showed interest in their son and had promised to work with him.

"She told me she was different from the other teachers because she cared about the whole child," said the sobbing mother as Morano stared straight ahead. "We believed her. We trusted her."

TT - A 33-year-old woman preying on a special education student? That doesn't call for jail time?

Sea Cliff, NEW JERSEY

July 25, 2008 - Grady Hampton, 22, a teacher's aide, was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the Dec. 18 shooting of Kareem Sapp, 19, who was shot as he moved clothes in his car out of the way for Hampton's girlfriend to sit.

Hampton was a teacher's aide at SCO Family of Services in Sea Cliff, where he worked with developmentally disabled children. SCO is one of the largest not-for-profit child and family services agencies in New York State. He was ordered held without bail.

Monroe, NEW JERSEY

Oct 12, 2007 -
Victoria Blevins, 23, a physical education teacher at Monroe High School, has been charged with sexual assault of a female student and official misconduct.

She was arrested after the mother of a former female student at the school found an instant message on a computer suggesting that the student and teacher were having an inappropriate sexual relationship.

She was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Anyone with tips should call Monroe Township Police detective Jason Grosser at (732) 521-0222, Ext. 147 or investigator James Kelly of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes Unit at (732) 745-3600.

NOT GUILTY PLEA Feb 8, 2008 - Blevins was in court but did not speak. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf by an attorney for the New Jersey Education Association, the statewide teachers' union.

GUILTY PLEA April 18 - Blevins pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of harassment Thursday after the victim in the case recanted. The student continues to contact Ms. Blevins. Blevins agreed to give up her teaching certificate. She can eventually reapply for it through the state.

Her attorney, G. Robert Wills of Princeton, a network attorney for the state teacher's union, said Blevins intends to join the military. She will be sentenced July 18.

UNCOOPERATIVE VICTIM & REDUCED CHARGES July 18 - Charges against a former Monroe High School gym teacher accused having a sexual relationship with a female student have been reduced because the alleged victim has refused to cooperate with investigators, prosecutor said in court today

SENTENCED Blevins was sentenced today to three years probation for a disorderly persons charge of harassment. Blevins apologized for the affair sordid sex with the girl and said she planned to enter the military.

Colonia, NEW JERSEY

Young enough to be his daughter. The former World Natural Body Building Federation professional body builder was "sorry for his lack in judgment."

Jan 29, 2008 - Craig Yarnall, 37, a physical education teacher at Colonia Middle School and a coach at Colonia High School, was arrested on charges he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. He faces charges of two second-degree charges of official misconduct and sexual assault.

Police found Yarnall in a parked car in a park with the 17-year-old girl. Investigators later determined Yarnall had a sexual relationship with the girl that began in April - when the girl was 16. He was suspended with pay.

Woodbridge middle-school gym teacher charged with sexual assault (Home News Tribune)

Authorities are urging anyone with information on Yarnall to contact Detectives Michael Dacrosta or Michael Ng of the Woodbridge Township Police Department at (732) 634-7700, or Investigator James Mullin of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes Unit at (732) 745-3600.

ARRAIGNMENT Jan 31 - At his arraignment, Yarnall appeared without an attorney and said that he hadn't been been able to get a phone call since his arrest on Tuesday. He was due to use the phone at Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick yesterday before being taken to court, he said. DeVesa said he would arrange for access to a phone.

Yarnall is married. Bail was set for $150,000 with no 10% cash option. Next court date is Feb 8.

Two Colonia High School teachers are mentioned: Michael Petak and Karen Binder. (Links are to TT entries.)

GUILTY May 23 - Yarnall pleaded guilty Thursday morning to official misconduct for having sex with a teenage girl and "agreed to a three-year prison term" in exchange for his guilty plea.

He stands a chance, however, of being accepted into an intensive parole supervision program, making it possible he will only serve a few months in prison.Yarnall also must give up his teacher's license and can never hold a public job in New Jersey.

He is scheduled to be sentenced July 18.

TT - We call it Bargains when a teacher "agrees to give up" their license in plea negotiations because it demonstrates how difficult it is to revoke a license when the license itself becomes a bargaining tool that gives the educator an advantage that no other citizen is given. Revocation should be automatic and guaranteed for sex offenders. That it is not is shameful.

SENTENCED July 18 - Yarnall was sentenced to three years in prison.

Craig Yarnall, 38, of Woodbridge apologized and said the entire episode had been hardship for his wife and their infant twin sons.

In exchange for the guilty plea, the count of official misconduct was downgraded from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree misdemeanor and the count of sexual assault was dismissed.

By pleading guilty, Yarnall avoided trial, a maximum prison term of 10 years, and being placed on the Megan's Law list of sexual offenders.

UPPERCASE Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa agreed with the state that the aggravating factors of the inappropriate sexual relationship between a teacher, who is supposed to exhibit moral, ethical behavior, and a teenage student, outweighed the mitigating factors that Yarnall has a previously clean record and is at low risk to commit another offense.
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TT - Not mentioned in any article are the other Colonia High School teachers in the news.
Michael Petak, 31, sentenced to probation for witness tampering (no explanation). Entry
Karen Binder, 42, Entry arrested for official misconduct related to sexually explicit text messages sent to a pair of students. No resolution to her case online.

Millville, NEW JERSEY

June 13, 2008 - Amy Lowers, 31, a substitute teacher with the Millville School District, was arrested after allegedly trying to fight another female over comments made on a MySpace page.

She was charged with harassment, two counts of terroristic threats, trespassing and obstruction. Police say Lowers went to a baseball field to fight another female over statements made on a MySpace page. Confronted by officials and police, she was told not to come back but returned later when she was arrested for trespassing.

During the incident, and while being arrested and transported to the station, Lowers allegedly continued to threaten the female she was looking to fight. A man also alleged that Lowers tried to hit him with tried to hit him with her car while she was at the field. At the police station, she refused to cooperate - leading to the obstruction charge.
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Millville School District rates a 3 (with 10 being the best) at GreatSchools.net Another Millville teacher, Christian McCarthy, caused us to look at the community.

Teacher Discipline

Sometimes you have to take a principled stand.

June 10, 2008 - New Jersey Education Commissioner Lucille Davy has ruled that a former Atlantic City teacher's conviction on child-abuse charges disqualifies her from any work within the district. The decision disagrees with an initial finding by an administrative law judge.

In 1998, the teacher, Nina L. Chavis, pleaded guilty to whipping her 9-year-old son with a plastic jump rope because he lied about his homework. She was sentenced to two years of probation in 1999, but stayed employed with the district.

That was until the Department of Education found out about it in April 2007 and notified Chavis that it would petition to disqualify her for the position at Texas Avenue School.

Chavis resigned May 9, 2007. On June 26, 2007, the Atlantic City Board of Education appointed her as Parent Center coordinator, effective July 1, 2007. But the Department of Education had problems with that as well.

Chavis no longer works in the district, according to Superintendent Fredrick Nickles.

"We severed that relationship earlier this year after the Department of Education told us we had to," he said Monday night.

TT - "The decision disagrees with an initial finding by an administrative law judge."

The implication of that single sentence is best understood if you know how little weight your school district or state Department of Education has in firing or revoking a teacher's license. This 2007 case demonstrates the Ping Pong Process that is involved in disciplining a teacher. With the final decision made by people you never, ever elected.

You can do a search for "revocation teacher" or "school board" or "school" here if you want the aggravation. Trust us, you'll be frustrated.

Plainsboro, NEW JERSEY

May 29, 2008 - Christopher Welch, 38, a gym teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North was arrested Wednesday. He has been charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact allegedly touched six female students inappropriately.

The investigation began after information was received by the principal at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, who in turn contacted the Plainsboro Police Department in December.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call Detective Eamon Blanchard of the Plainsboro Township Police Department at (609) 799-2333, Ext. 674, or Sgt. Randi Colatrella and Investigator Candido Arroyo of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at (732) 745-3600.

Millville, NEW JERSEY

March 28 - DEAL OF THE WEEK
Busted for cocaine possession the same day he was convicted on another drug charge. He'll get probation for both. To run concurrently. How sweet is that?

May 21 - ARREST WARRANT OUT An arrest warrant was issued when McCarthy never showed up at his sentencing.


Jan 29, 2008 -Christian P. McCarthy, 37, was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia following a motor vehicle stop near Main and Beech streets on Jan. 18. The three other occupants in his vehicle were also charged with drug offenses. McCarthy was found to be in possession of crack pipe.

McCarthy is a special education/social studies teacher at Millville Senior High School. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave. The the school board will review whether or not they need to take further disciplinary actions.

Police released the arrest information on Tuesday afternoon. Undercover officers were on surveillance of an area for drug activity when they noticed McCarthy as he stopped to pick up an 18-year-old male. They then drove to a known drug house where the 18-year-old went into the house brieifly. Two others from another house joined them in the car, a 17-year-old and an older woman.

Police stopped the car for a traffic stop and found cocaine and a crack pipe on the rear floor and on the center console of the vehicle. The 18-year-old had outstanding warrants. It isn't known if either of the young men are or were students at the high school.

Jan 30 - McCarthy was arrested the day he was convicted of a similar charge in Hamilton Township were he was pulled over Jul 4 and he was arrested on cocaine and drug paraphernalia charges. McCarthy is the son of Millville solicitor Richard McCarthy.
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ONLINE RESOURCES
Greatschools.net rates the school a 2. You will see why when you see the test scores.
Environment: City Unemployment = 6% Violent Crime Index = 6 with 1 being the lowest

Mean streets, gang activity and drugs. story "Millville under fire" - they are thinking of bringing in federal law enforcement. See Take back our neighborhood
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FIRED March 4 - McCarthy was fired by the Board of Education. He was only identified by an ID number at the Board of Education meeting, but Superintendent Shelly Schneider confirmed that the employee, was Christian P. McCarthy. McCarthy is the son of city Solicitor Rich McCarthy and longtime Millville teacher and coach Claudia McCarthy.

McCarthy had been on a non-paid leave since the incident became public. Police did not notify the district that McCarthy had been arrested until 11 days after after it occurred.

GUILTY March 28 - McCarthy pleaded guilty Friday to cocaine possession. A plea deal with the Cumberland County Prosecutor calls for an unspecified term of probation. The probation period would run concurrently with a probation sentence McCarthy is serving for a similar offense in Atlantic County. He will be sentenced May 9. In the car with him at the time of his arrest were two teenagers.

[TT-No one at the newspaper seems to have bothered to find out if either teenager was a student of McCarthy's at any time. Was McCarthy on probation at the time he was found in the car with the teenagers?]

A comment from the newspaper sums it up nicely. "He was my child's teacher and I didn't know of this until my child told me! Nice role models Millville!!!! Let's give the kids just one more reason to think doing illegal things will just get you a slap on the wrist!! Does anyone wonder why the kids in our community don't fear the consequences? There are none , so to speak. How sad and pathetic of our authorities ( can we even call them authorities anymore?)"

May 21 - Despite that great deal, McCarthy never showed up for his sentencing. Richard McCarthy, Christian McCarthy's father and Millville's city solicitor, declined to comment on the whereabouts of his son.

McCarthy was previously convicted of drug charges in Atlantic County while working as a teacher in Millville. Millville school officials were not advised about either arrest.