Parents Who Accused Marlboro Teacher Of Molesting Student File Lawsuit

MARLBORO, NJ — The parents of a Marlboro Township girl who accused the girl's teacher of molesting her in a hallway in school have filed a lawsuit against the school district, the teacher and several others in connection with the incident.

In the lawsuit, the parents allege the teacher, Jenna Sciabica, had held multiple sexually explicit conversations with students, gossiping about other teachers' relationships and her own sexuality, and sharing details of explicit pranks she was pulling on another staff member, all while telling the students it was a secret and to not tell their parents.

They allege the conversations were used to "groom" their daughter, who is 14, to accept Sciabica touching her.

The lawsuit also provides additional details of the incident, which happened March 13 at Marlboro Memorial Middle School, which was caught on camera in the hallway and became public when the mother spoke out at the April 16 school board meeting. Read more: Teacher Molested Girl On Camera In Marlboro School Hallway, Mom Says

Sciabica called the student over to her, and began inappropriately touching one breast, then both, according to the lawsuit. The student froze for a moment then pushed Sciabica's hands away and ran down the hallway, with Sciabica allegedly calling the girl to come back so she could feel them some more, according to the lawsuit.

Sciabica, 38, a special education teacher, was charged with one count of harassment-offensive touching, a petty disorderly persons offense, on April 17, Marlboro Capt. Steven Levy said.

Sciabica's attorney, Mitchell Ansell of Ocean Township, has called the allegations "outrageous and defamatory," and said the teacher received death threats after the mother made the accusations in public. Read more:'Outrageous And Defamatory' Accusations Against Marlboro Teacher False, Attorney Says

In addition to Sciabica, the school district, the school board and Marlboro Superintendent Michael Ballone, the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Superior Court in Monmouth County names a lengthy list of additional defendants who are accused of lying about the incident and the investigation, and with putting out defamatory and/or libelous statements in connection with it.

Levy is a named defendant over his statement to members of the media on the date Sciabica was charged, which the family alleges paints them in a false light.

Marc Zitomer, the school board attorney whose letter in reply to the family became a flashpoint during the April 16 school board meeting, is accused of defamation.

And two women who live in Marlboro are accused of libel, defamation and slander over statements they made about the case and the family on social media. Those statements included disparaging comments about the parents, both of whom were Sept. 11 first responders who worked at the World Trade center site; the father has cancer and receives compensation from a 9/11 victims compensation fund.

The lawsuit does not specify the amount sought but requests compensatory and punitive damages.