‘Teacher Of The Year’ Arrested For Sexual Assault On 15 Year Old Student

Erica DePalo, 33, won the Essex County, N.J. Teacher of the Year award in 2011. Last Friday, she was arrested and accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her 15-year-old honors English students.



Many of the students that the station spoke with were blindsided by the allegations.

DePalo was charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Star Ledger.

The paper reports that authorities believe the relationship began on June 15 and ended last Tuesday.

Police declined to release further details about the alleged relationship and also did not reveal how authorities first learned of it, according to Montclair Patch.

In a statement obtained by Patch, the West Orange Public School district announced that DePalo has been suspended “immediately and indefinitely.