Schools

Park Middle Teacher Will Be Suspended Until Investigation is Complete

Sarah E. Blessing was arrested on Wednesday for her alleged involvement with a student.

The Park Middle School teacher who was suspended on Wednesday for allegedly having sexual relations with a 17-year-old female student will not be allowed to return to her job until the investigation is complete.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Superintendent Margaret Hayes told Patch that the district has appointed another teacher to take over Sarah E. Blessing's fifth grade class at Park  for as long as the investigation is taking place. Blessing has been charged with sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child for her  involvement with a Bishop George Ahr High School student. Blessing has served as the girl's swim coach at the Edison school since 2005, and is alleged to been having relations with the student there since June.

Blessing, who is 27 and of South Plainfield, was arrested at her home on Tuesday. She is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in New Brunswick. Bail has been set at $150,000, with no 10 percent, by Superior Court Judge James Mulvihill, who ordered Blessing to have no contact with the victim.

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District suspended Blessing from her position at Park Middle School with pay after learning of the charges on Wednesday. Hayes told Patch that contractually Blessing is eligible for pay during her leave, and that no decision to change her status on payroll can be made until the district knows how the investigation turns out. Blessing's public salary with the district is $56,891.

Blessing has been teaching at Park Middle School since 2005, and had been the swim coach at Bishop Ahr for that same amount of time. The Diocese of Metuchen terminated Blessing's position on Wednesday.

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hayes said that the parents of all students in Blessing's classroom at Park have been notified of the incident by school officials.

"She obviously cannot be back in the classroom while the investigation is taking place, and until we get word that she's cleared of charges, she can't return," she said.

Hayes said that the school district has no knowledge at this time of any incidents involving Blessing in Scotch Plains. The investigation began on Tuesday after the matter was brought to the attention of law enforcement by the Diocese of Metuchen. The case is being handled by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.


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