School District Has Not Yet Decided Fate of Park Middle Teacher Charged with Sexual Assault

Superintendent Margaret Hayes said on Wednesday that she can't yet say what the fate of Park Middle School teacher Sarah Blessing will be within the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District.

Blessing, 27, was indicted last week and charged with sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child, and witness tampering. Middlesex County Prosecutor Public Information Officer Jim O'Neill confirmed the charges to Patch on Tuesday.

The charges come after Blessing was arrested in December for an alleged sexual relationship with a female student at Bishop George Ahr High School in Edison, where she had been the girls swim coach since 2005. Blessing had also served as a fifth grade teacher at Park Middle since 2005, but was suspended with pay in December after her arrest.

Hayes said on Wednesday that the district must first get confirmation of the indictment and that she will then make a recommendation to the board about what to do. The board will then take action and decide the fate of the teacher.

Hayes wouldn't say whether Blessing will remain on the district's payroll any longer, but pointed to state statute 18A: 6—8.3 regarding suspended employees that states:

• "Any employee or officer of a board of education in this State who is suspended from his employment, office or position, other than by reason of indictment, pending any investigation, hearing or trial or any appeal therefrom, shall receive his full pay or salary during such period of suspension, except that in the event of charges against such employee or officer brought before the board of education or the Commissioner of Education pursuant to law, such suspension may be with or without pay or salary as provided in chapter 6 of which this section is a supplement."

In other words, the district can choose to suspend a teacher without pay once an indictment is handed down. Hayes is still waiting for the district to receive official word about the indictment.

According to Park Middle's Web site, Tara McLaughlin has been filling in for Blessing since she was removed. The Diocese of Metuchen also terminated Blessing's position in December following her arrest.

Blessing is alleged to have begun her relationship with the Edison student in June. According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor public information officer, the sexual assault is alleged to have occurred in South Plainfield, North Brunswick and New Brunswick. The witness tampering allegedly occurred in New Brunswick.

Blessing is a resident of South Plainfield.

If convicted, Blessing could face up to 10 years in prison on the sexual assault charge alone. She is currently free on $150,000 bail.