West Orange case spotlights statewide sex abuse in schools.
By Alex Friedman
(STAR LEDGERS STAFF)
Throughout Erica DePalo’s nine years at West Orange High School, the young English teacher won Essex County Teacher of the Year honors as she focused much of her attention on freshman and sophomore students, guiding them through the daunting passage from middle school.
In the classroom, she taught honors English, creative writing, college prep and journalism. Outside, she coached junior varsity girls tennis, helped design the curriculum for a freshman seminar course meant to ease that transition and led a team to create smaller communities within the 2,000 students.
Yesterday, in criminal case that has shocked the school district and drawn national attention, DePalo made her first appearance in Superior Court in Newark, pleading not guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old male student. Her arrest has highlighted what law enforcement officials see as a statewide rise in the reported number of teachers charged with sexually abusing their students. Dressed in a black suit with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail, De Palo, 33, was silent for yesterday’s brief hearing in which she was formally charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. She walked out of the courthouse shaded behind sunglasses and surrounded by her attorney, her father and friends.
When news hit of DePalo’s Erica DePato, center, an English teacher at West Orange High School, leaves Superior Court in Newark after arrest nearly two weeks ago, it her appearance yesterday. DePalo was charged with having sex with a 15-year-old boy.
Above are pictures of Lawyer Alfano and Erica together during the case hearing.
“She had an excellent reputation as a teacher. We were impressed”
– West Orange school board vice president Paul Petigrow
CBS New York: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/04/29/no-prison-time-for-onetime-teacher-of-the-year-who-had-sex-with-student/
NbcWashington News: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/former-teacher-of-the-year-will-face-no-prison-for-sex-with-student/2048293/
1 Comment
Great Lawyer!
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