The principal and vice principal of an Essex County elementary school have been placed on leave following allegations that a teacher groomed a student at the school for years.
Ridgewood Avenue School Principal Michael Donovan and Vice Principal Jonathan Heitmann were placed on indefinite leave on Monday, Glen Ridge school district officials said.
The principals will remain on leave through the end of the school year, according to Superintendent Kyle Arlington.
In a letter sent out to parents, Arlington said the decision was made due to safety concerns and the district’s procedures for involving police.
Arlington and the principal of Central Elementary School will co-lead Ridgewood Avenue School for the rest of the academic year, he said.
“Families are encouraged to email us directly at any time, and we will ensure all concerns are addressed appropriately, including any required reporting to the authorities or relevant law enforcement agencies,” the superintendent wrote in the notice.
The school has about 600 students in grades 3 to 6.
Although Glen Ridge School officials did not say whether the decision was related to the allegations against the teacher, the move comes a week after an attorney filed a notice of tort claim against the district on behalf of a student and her family.
The notice, which alerts the school district of the intention to file a lawsuit, claims an elementary school teacher groomed a 14-year-old girl for an inappropriate relationship over the course of more than three years.
The girl’s parents plan to sue the Glen Ridge School District for $10 million, the tort claim said.
School officials declined to comment Tuesday.
“The district is unable to comment with respect to any employee or personnel matter, as those subjects are confidential. Therefore, the district has no additional comments,” a spokesperson for Glen Ridge Schools said.
The teacher worked at Ridgewood Avenue School and was placed on leave until his resignation.
The girl was 11 when the alleged grooming began in September 2021 and it continued until late March, when the incident was reported, according to the claim.
According to the family’s attorney, Justin L. Drazin of Red Bank, the teacher sent the child up to 10 messages a day — including emails, text messages, voice memos and handwritten notes.
The allegations were uncovered when another teacher at Ridgewood Avenue School found the victim’s journal, which included some of the handwritten notes, the family says.
Detectives are working with the state’s Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit to determine whether the girl was sexually abused, according to Drazin.
Drazin also said he believes other school staff were aware of the teacher’s behavior.
A spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday that no charges have been filed against the teacher at this time.
The spokesperson said the prosecutor’s office does not comment on cases involving juveniles, but confirmed the matter has been referred to the office for review.
Stories by Nyah Marshall
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Nyah Marshall may be reached at nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com