Teacher Loses License After NJ School Hiring, Masturbating Charge

A New Jersey teacher has lost his license after he was accused of masturbating in public, but a school district hired him anyway, officials said.

John P. McCabe lost his license last month after the state Department of Education's Board of Examiners concluded that he had "a serious lapse in judgment" when he engaged in inappropriate conduct.

McCabe had been convicted of a disorderly person offense after he was charged with lewdness, according to state Board of Education records. McCabe had placed his hand in his pocket and rubbed his genitals in a Wanaque parking lot during business hours while pedestrians and customers were present, according to the records.

McCabe allegedly was observed on two occasions – July 30 and August 12, 2015 – to have his hands down his shorts and masturbating. There was no exposure and he "was unaware of or unconcerned with whether others could see him."

Despite his conviction and the accusation, according to nj.com, McCabe was still hired at Wallkill Valley Regional High School in 2016. He held a teacher of health and physical education certificate and a teacher of driver education certificate.

Superintendent David Carr told The New Jersey Herald that all teachers are background-checked but it's not clear whether McCabe's past record came up. It's also not clear when he actually left the district.

State records listed McCabe's annual salary as $60,975.

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