Last month, a 32-year-old teacher at Parsippany Hills High School was arrested after authorities learned that she had allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student.
Jenna Leahey, who also serves as the coach of the school’s field hockey team, allegedly began exchanging sexually explicit text messages with the student in early 2013. According to Morris County prosecutors, Ms. Leahey later sent lewd pictures of herself to the student. Eventually, authorities say, Ms. Leahey and the teenage student engaged in sexual acts.
Authorities learned about the relationship after the student told another staff member at the school.
Ms. Leahey has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact. On the lesser charge of criminal sexual contact, Ms. Leahey could be sentenced to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3b, a person is guilty of criminal sexual contact if she has supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim and the victim is between the ages of 16 and 18.
Ms. Leahey was being held at the Morris County Jail in lieu of posting $100,000.00 bail.
For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “Morris County Teacher Accused of Sexual Relationship with 16-Year-Old Student.”
