Ex-Marlboro Teacher Cleared Of Molesting Student Files New Lawsuit

MARLBORO, NJ — A former Marlboro Township teacher who was accused of molesting one of her students but later cleared has filed a federal lawsuit against township and school officials as well as the student’s parents, alleging violations of her civil rights.

Jenna Sciabica, who was a special education teacher at Marlboro Memorial Middle School, was accused at a Board of Education meeting in April 2024 of molesting one of her students in a school hallway on March 13, an incident authorities said was caught on camera.

After the girl’s parents made their accusations public at the board meeting, Sciabica was charged with harassment-offensive touching. She was later found not guilty of the charge after prosecutors found there was no sexual offense committed in the hallway.

In May 2024, the girl’s parents filed a lawsuit against Sciabica, the school district and several other people in connection with the incident, which Sciabica followed with a counter lawsuit in October 2024 against the girl’s parents, school officials and community members who spoke negatively about her online.

On Nov. 6, Sciabica filed a second lawsuit in U.S. District Court under the Civil Rights Act, which names more than 30 defendants and alleges that school district officials violated her constitutional rights by forcing her to resign from her teaching position without due process.

Sciabica alleges that school district officials conducted a “cursory investigation” designed to reach a predetermined conclusion, sent false and stigmatizing information to state licensing authorities, and withheld video evidence of the incident from her for over five-and-a-half months, despite repeated demands.

A request for comment from Marlboro Schools Superintendent Michael Ballone had not been answered as of Wednesday afternoon.

"Ms. Sciabica was denied her fundamental constitutional right to due process," said Jonathan B. Behrins, Sciabica’s attorney.

"She was presumed guilty, forced to resign under duress, and branded with career-ending accusations — all without a fair investigation or the opportunity to defend herself," Behrins continued. "The video evidence was withheld for months, and it simply does not depict what the alleged eyewitnesses said happened."

While the lawsuit acknowledges an interaction between Sciabica and the student in the school hallway in March 2024, the complaint maintains that the interaction involved a “playful reference to a dress fitting” that had occurred the previous week in the presence of the student’s mother.

Despite the incident being described as innocent in nature, the lawsuit alleges that a teacher made false statements to law enforcement about the encounter that contradicted available security footage.

Sciabica resigned from her teaching position in March 2024 following the accusations.

"Jenna's case shows what happens when lies are leveraged for profit and an angry, misinformed mob subverts due process to cancel a teacher," Behrins said. "We will vindicate Ms. Sciabica’s cancellation, restore her reputation, and ensure that those who nearly destroyed this woman by mob rule are held fully accountable."

Through the federal lawsuit, Sciabica is seeking compensatory damages, the restoration of her employment benefits and pension credits, declaratory relief, attorney’s fees and injunctive relief requiring a retraction of defamatory statements and removal of stigmatizing accusations from her employment and licensing records.

In a statement sent to Patch, Nima Ameri, the attorney for the student’s family, said filing the lawsuit while the exact subject matter is pending in state court shows either “a lack of understanding of the law” or an attempt to continue “frivolous positions.”

“The recent attempt to file a suit in Federal Court, while the exact subject matter is pending in State Court, shows us either a lack of understanding of the law, or an attempt to continue these frivolous positions,” Ameri told Patch. “The lack of accountability by Miss Sciabica is shocking to our clients.”

Previous Coverage

• Ex-Marlboro Teacher Accused Of Molesting Student Sues Girl's Parents
• Parents Who Accused Marlboro Teacher Of Molesting Student File Lawsuit
• 'Outrageous And Defamatory' Accusations Against Marlboro Teacher False, Attorney Says
• Marlboro Middle School Teacher Charged With Offensive Touching Of Student
• Teacher Molested Girl On Camera In Marlboro School Hallway, Mom Says