Prosecutor: Mendham High School Teacher Had Improper Relationships With 3 Students

A North Jersey teacher accused of having an improper sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly having improper relationships with two more students, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp announced Friday.

The Mendham High School teacher also was indicted for the original charge of official misconduct.

Nicole McDonough, 32, of Mt. Olive, also known as Nicole Howell, has been indicted on three counts of official misconduct, a crime of the second degree.

Authorities received information that McDonough, who has been teaching at Mendham since April 2013, allegedly engage in improper relationship with male students, Knapp said.

An investigation revealed McDonough had improper communication and “impermissible fraternization” with the students, including an alleged physical relationship with one of the three male students. All three students were 18 at the time of the alleged relationships, Knapp noted.

One of the relationships took place in April, May, and June of 2013, while the other two relationships took place in April, May, and June of 2014, Knapp said.

See related stories:

• Prosecutor: Mendham High School School Teacher Had Sexual Relationship With Student
• Mendham Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student Pleads Not Guilty
• Mendham Teacher, Student Had 3-Day Tryst, Complaint Say

McDonough was arrested on Dec. 30, 2014 for the alleged sexual relationship with one of the students. That accusation was based on an alleged tryst that occurred over a three-day period between April and May of 2014, Knapp previously stated.

McDonough was freed from jail after posting $75,000 bail. She is currently on paid leave from the West Morris Regional High School District. The teacher began working in the district in 2007, initially as a teacher at West Morris Central High School, Mendham’s sister-school. At Mendham, McDonough was teaching advanced placement and International Baccalaureate level courses.

Anyone with information relating to these charges or any similar conduct by this defendant is urged to contact Detective Bruce LaFera of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit at 973-285-6200.

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