Wall Township High School teacher accused of sexual relationship with student

Julie Rizzitello, 36, submitted her letter of resignation as a teacher at Wall Township High School earlier this week after she was accused of criminal charges of sexually assaulting a student, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.

The Brick Township resident was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree witness tampering and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, Santiago said Thursday, July 4, along with Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran.

According to O’Halloran and Santiago, Rizzitello’s criminal behavior began earlier this year.

“On multiple occasions and in at least three jurisdictions – Belmar, Brick and Wall – Rizzitello allegedly performed various sexual acts with the victim,” the prosecutor’s office said in a press release.

Rizzitello is the latest teacher to be charged with having sexual contact with a student. Last week, Allison Havemann-Niedrach, 43, of Jackson Township, a special education teacher at Freehold Intermediate School, was charged with having sexual relations with a student, according to reported Daily Voice.

Last April, high school teacher Jessica Sawicki of Mercer County wrote admitted to having unprotected sex with a student several times in Monmouth County. In the same month Jenna Sciabica, a 38-year-old teacher from Marlboro, was charged with a case of harassment or touching, which is considered a minor public order offense, after the mother of the alleged victim spoke at a BOE meeting.

Rizzitello is charged in Monmouth County (for the Belmar and Wall offenses) and Ocean County (for the Brick offenses). She was arrested without incident on Wednesday, July 3, and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI), where she will be held pending a detention hearing in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Rizzitello’s biography has been removed from the Wall Township schools website.

Anyone with information regarding Rizzitello’s activities is asked to contact MCPO Detective Jose Rodriguez at 800-533-7443 or Detective Devin Corso of the Wall Township Police Department at 732-449-4500.

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