A Maplewood NJ high school teacher has been accused of sexually assaulting several male students.
According to Essex County prosecutors, the 35-year-old suspect sexually assaulted six students at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. The suspect, a single mother of two young sons, worked as a language arts teacher at the high school.
The suspect allegedly engaged in illegal sexual activity with six underage students at the high school. The alleged sex crimes are believed to have occurred several times between 2013 and 2014. The students were ages 14 and 15 at the time of the alleged sexual offenses.
Essex County prosecutors reportedly have video evidence of the suspect performing oral sex on one of the underage victims.
According to authorities, at least some of the sex acts occurred on school property.
The suspect was indicted in February 2015 on a number of sex crime charges, including 40 counts of aggravated sexual assault and 40 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Now the suspect is seeking to get several charges against her dismissed. She recently filed a motion to dismiss all of the child endangerment charges.
Additionally, the suspect is seeking to sever the charges involving each alleged victim. This would allow her to face separate trials for each victim.
Essex County prosecutors have reportedly offered the suspect a plea deal that would require her to serve 15 years in NJ State Prison. Under the terms of the proposed plea agreement, the suspect would have to serve nearly 13 years in state prison before she becomes eligible for release on parole.
The plea deal would also require the suspect to be subject to Megan’s Law sex offender registration requirements upon her release.
For further information about this case, check out NJ.com article entitled “Teacher Accused in Sex Assault of 6 Students Looks to Dismiss Some Charges.”
