Here's Why 13 NJ Teachers Had Licenses Suspended, Revoked In 2018

Allegedly poor behavior was a big reason why 13 teachers have already had their licenses suspended or revoked in 2018. Below is list of the teachers, where nearly all of them taught and what they were punished for in just three short months.

The behavior was troubling enough for the state Board of Examiners, the educator licensing agency in New Jersey that's part of the state Department of Education, to pull the licenses of the teachers either permanently or for as long as two years.

Most of these teachers have had trouble with the law: some faced sex abuse or manslaughter charges, while one, a first-grade teacher, was accused of allowing an underage drinking party at her home that sent a 15-year-old boy to the hospital.

The board issues all certificates that are required for public school employment. Individuals must hold the appropriate New Jersey certification in order to be employed as teaching staff members in the public schools in the state.

The Board of Examiners renders decisions on various cases which include decisions to revoke or suspend an educator's certificates as well as appeals.

The board includes state officials as well as two state college presidents, a county superintendent, two school district superintendents, a high school principal, an elementary school principal, a school librarian and four teaching staff members other than a superintendent, principal, school business administrator or librarian.

Here are the teachers, the troubles they faced and the punishment they took, based on news reports and information from the state DOE:

Kimberly Charnuska: Charnuska was a Bound Brook High School female art teacher who was fired three years ago after allegations surfaced that she had inappropriate contact with a male student, according to nj.com. Her licenses were revoked on Jan. 19.

Andrea Consales: Consales, a former Clifton teacher, is serving a six-year prison sentence for killing her husband, according to The Record. Consales pleaded guilty to manslaughter-committed recklessly. On Jan. 6, 2017, Consales was sentenced to six years in prison, three years of parole supervision upon release and ordered to have no contact with the victim’s family. Her licenses were revoked on Jan. 19.

Tracey Harding: Harding was a first-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Edison who was accused of allowing an underage drinking party at her home that sent a 15-year-old boy to the hospital. Her license was suspended for 2 years, effective March 1.

Jonathan Jasinski: Jasinski was a full-time substitute teacher, in-school suspension officer and assistant coach for the hockey and baseball teams at Lyndhurst High School, according to nj.com. On Sept. 28, 2017, Jasinski pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of children-sexual conduct and endangering the welfare of children-possessing/viewing of child pornography. His license was revoked on Jan. 19.

Kevin Pronovost: Pronovost presented a proposal to the board in which he would agree to a 3-year suspension of his certificates. On Jan. 19, the board agreed, and suspended him immediately. The nature of the allegation was not disclosed.

Roger Schneider: Schneider, a former assistant principal from Roxbury High School and an ex-Clifton cop, was indicted last year on charges that he sexually touched a teenager while living part time at the girl's home, according to Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp. On Jan. 19, the State Board of Examiners reviewed an affidavit that the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, several months after Schneider pleaded guilty to cruelty and neglect of children. His license was revoked.

Stephen Schweizer: Schweizer, of Middle Township, faced felony counts in connection with a drunken-driving stop that turned violent, according to The Press of Atlantic City. He was a history teacher at Egg Harbor Township High School. In 2016, a jury convicted Schweizer of resisting arrest/eluding-creating a risk of death. Schweizer was sentenced to four years in prison. Schweizer eventually apologized for the incident and admitted he made a huge mistake “by getting behind the wheel after drinking.” He explained that he got a flat tire less than a mile from his house and did not realize that there was a police officer behind him until he was about 0.3 miles from his house. Schweizer said when he exited his vehicle, the officer ran at him at gunpoint and threw him to the ground. He said he was compliant but the officer smashed his head into the concrete driveway. His sentence was downgraded by the judge because she did not believe he should be sentenced on a 2nd degree crime, Schweizer said. He was released from prison early after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. His license was suspended in January for three years.

Nadine S. Sudlow: Sudlow made headlines for being an ex-teacher who described herself as "mad horny" and reportedly made a sex tape with a student, but was still hired– though later fire – by a New Jersey school district. Sudlow was hired by the Newark school district several years ago even though the New York Post's website had just published this 2015 story: "High school teacher made sex tape with student: report," according to NJ101.5 and The Record. She had also resigned from New York City school district in 2014 once school officials learned about the relationship. Her license was revoked.

Vincent Ajayi: Ajayi is a tenured teacher in Newark who faced tenure charges of unbecoming conduct and corporal punishment. Ajayi had a physical altercation with a student that started with an object, possibly a piece of candy or a juice box, that had been thrown in the classroom and had hit the teacher. Ajayi asked a student whether he had thrown it, but the stuent responded “no” and refused to turn over the object. Ajayi then “put his hands on (the student) and began to push him towards the door,” and a physical confrontation ensued. It was eventually determined that Ajayi “has a temper and that temper has to be controlled.” An arbitrator also found that Ajayi had attended various training sessions for dealing with disruptive and challenging student behaviors “but apparently he forgot what was addressed in the training sessions.” His license was suspended for 18 months in March.

Jason Gangi: Gangi is a Midland Park special education teacher who was suspended without pay in April 2015, according to Daily Voice. Gangi's license was suspended for 30 months in March. The nature of the punishment was not disclosed.

Meg Geisser: Geisser pleaded guilty in 2015 to theft by unlawful taking after she removed money from the purses of various employees of Weymouth Elementary School. She was sentenced to 17 days' time served and fined. Geisser ultimately failed to respond to an order to show cause. Geisser's license was suspended for 2 years in March.

David Schafler: Schafler was arrested in June 2017 and charged with multiple counts of terroristic threats, stalking and harassment. Subsequently, he was convicted of terroristic threats and sentenced to five years of probation. Public records say Schafler was an ESL teacher at the Lincoln Annex School in New Brunswick. His license was revoked in March.

Darren Ventre: Ventre was a Catholic school basketball coach from Woodbridge who was charged with repeatedly performing a sex act in the presence of a 14­-year-­old girl, authorities said. He volunteered as athletic director and as coach of the girls' basketball team at St. Matthew the Apostle R.C. Church in Edison. Ventre was arrested in 2015 and charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child. On Sept. 8, 2017, Ventre was admitted into a pretrial intervention program for 36 months. His license was revoked in March.

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