A physical education teacher at William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student. 43-year-old Francisco Realpe faces charges of aggravated sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child.
A press release states that the alleged sexual assault was reported to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP). This led to an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office SVU and Realpe was arrested on Monday, February 3.
Realpe was booked at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny pending his first court appearance.
The alleged victim is 17 years old. The Jersey City Public School district was notified of Realpe’s arrest. He is no longer teaching at this time but is still employed by the school district pending the outcome of this investigation.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea is a sex abuse victims lawyer who represents victims and their families in civil lawsuits. Brian has offered to share some of his thoughts on the legal rights of those who have been sexually abused by teachers and other school employees:
Our education system has serious problems with trusted school employees exploiting their positions of trust and sexually abusing their students. School officials must be aware of the dangers of sexual predators and must do all that they can to protect their students from these predators. When a student is sexually abused by a teacher, the school should be investigated to determine if they enabled the abuse through negligence.
Some teacher sex abuse cases may not have happened if not for negligence by the school – such as failing to investigate previous reports of inappropriate behavior by the teacher. In cases that involve negligence, the school could be held liable in a lawsuit by the victims and their families.
If you or a loved one is a victim of sexual abuse by a teacher or another school employee, our experienced sex abuse victims lawyers are prepared to help your family find justice. You can learn more about your legal rights in a free consultation.