Ocean Gate Superintendent Accused Of Child Sex Abuse: Lawsuit

OCEAN GATE, NJ — A second person has come forward against the Ocean Gate superintendent, claiming he made the girl expose her breasts when she was 9 years old, according to a federal lawsuit.

Ocean Gate School District Superintendent Frank B. Vanalesti made the student lift up her shirt in order to see a cut, which exposed her bare breasts, according to the notice of tort. The notice states he proceeded to give the student a hug and tell her he was glad she was OK.

The first accuser claimed Vanalesti repeatedly assaulted a child from 2011-15, beginning when she was 9 years old. The tort notice was filed June 6, according to nj.com.

An attorney for the school district, Christopher Supsie, has denied both accusations to the Asbury Park Press.

"Several days after this occurred, Frank Vanalesti, who is currently the Ocean Gate School District Superintendent and was the principal of the Ocean Gate Public School at the time of this incident, inexplicably called (the student) into his office so he could 'inspect' the cut," the notice says. "(The student) did not understand why he needed to see the cut, as it had been inspected by the school nurse."

The cut was in the upper-left part of her chest. At first the former student pulled her shirt down, not exposing her breasts, according to the notice. She told police that Vanalesti "then asked her to lift up her shirt to see the cut better." Then he lifted her shirt back down and hugged her, the police report states.

The second claim against Vanalesti was previously investigated by police but not charges were filed, according to reports.

"In 2008, those allegations were investigated by a law enforcement agency and were found to be without merit by that agency," he told the Asbury Park Press on Wednesday. "In addition, no criminal charges were ever filed from 2008 through to the present date."

Both lawsuits list Vanalesti, the Ocean Gate School District, Ocean Gate Public School and Ocean Gate School Board of Education as defendants. Fuggi Law Firm is representing both former students.

The first lawsuit claims Vanalesti moved into the woman's Ocean Gate home in 2011 and stayed there until early 2015. During that time, he used his position as school administrator to gain the trust of the mother and her daughter, the notice claims.

The notice claims Vanalesti sexually assaulted the girl, watched her shower and use the bathroom, forced her to touch him in a sexual manner, and, in one instance, forced her to undress with him while he was participating in an online video sex chat with a naked woman, according to nj.com.

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