A teacher in New Jersey, United States, has been accused of sexually assaulting a student at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area on multiple occasions this year, as per a report in the New York Post. Jessica Sawicki is a 37-year-old English teacher at Hamilton High School West in Trenton. She has been charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
As per the officials, Ms Sawicki and the school student were discovered by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife inspectors on Sunday in “states of undress.”
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by the New York Post, Ms Sawicki reportedly acknowledged to investigators that she and the boy had at least five instances of “unprotected” intercourse in the 6,393-acre state-owned wildlife management area since December. The two had sex in the back seat of the student’s car, the documents said.
Notably, the teenager was described as being “at least 16 but not yet 18.” Authorities reported that Ms Sawicki was arrested and taken into custody on Monday and is still being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution until a detention hearing the following week.
A statement on the school district’s website stated that Ms Sawicki had been placed on administrative leave from her $41,000-per-year employment. It said, “As a result of the information gathered, the school district took immediate action to place the individual on administrative leave. Our district fully cooperated with the prosecutor’s office during their investigation and will continue to do so, as needed.”
“The alleged incident goes against our professional standards as a school district and is far removed from the expectations we have for the personal conduct of an employee. We have no tolerance for any actions that harm or could potentially harm our students. The actions of one staff member do not represent the hard work and dedication of our entire school community. At this time there is no indication that any of the alleged actions took place on school property,” Principal Brian Smith and Superintendent Scott Rocco of Hamilton Township School District said.
According to the outlet, the teacher’s profile was removed from the school website teacher’s directory following her arrest. Earlier, it mentioned that she had been working at the school for seven years. “I truly enjoy getting to know the students here and helping them become the best versions of themselves while they strive for their futures,” her now-deleted profile page said.
