Superintendent: District Investigating Teacher Following Guilty Plea

The Ridgewood school district will be initiating an investigation to determine if any action should be taken against a middle school teacher who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct last week, Superintendent Dan Fishbein said Monday.

Adolfo Noya, 47, was arrested on Oct. 25 after police said he shoplifted $82 worth of items from Whole Foods. As part of a plea agreement with the Ridgewood municipal prosecutor, the shoplifting charge was expunged and Noya pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He will serve 30 days of community service while paying a $1,000 fine as well as $33 in court fees.

"This is a personnel issue," Fishbein said Monday. "Now that Mr. Noya's legal issue has been resolved, the school district will conduct its own investigation of the situation and determine what, if any, district action is warranted. Any employee in situation like this is entitled to both due process and confidentiality. As an employer, the school district will honor both of those entitlements."

Noya, who has been with the district since 2000, teaches 7th grade Spanish at George Washington Middle School.