Teacher Charged With Child Endangerment, 'Obscene Material' Acts In Union County

PLAINFIELD, NJ - A Plainfield teacher and teen mentor is charged with endangering a child and showing "obscene material."

Tory James, 23 of Plainfield, is a substitute teacher at the Queen City Academy Charter School. He also works at the Queen City Mentoring Academy, a "day camp" for both male and female attendees.

James was arrested on Friday, Aug. 15 without conflict on charges of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree promoting obscene material to a child under the age of 18.

In speaking to Patch, the Queen City Academy Charter School says they "immediately suspended" James and give the following statement:

"Recently, we learned that a Queen City Academy Charter School employee was arrested. The assigned Prosecutor’s Office is not able to share information regarding the ongoing investigation, however, QCA followed our existing protocols and immediately suspended the employee pending the outcome of the charges. The safety and well-being of our scholars remains our highest priority and we are and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.

Our school has clear safeguards, policies, and procedures in place to protect students at all times, including those governing our staff’s duty to maintain the highest standards of care and supervision for every child and establishing strict boundaries for all electronic communication between staff and students that requires that all interactions remain professional, appropriate, and aligned with our mission.

These policies—along with ongoing staff training, oversight, and accountability systems—are in place to guard against, identify, and respond to any potential concerns. Any behavior that compromises the safety of our scholars is taken with the utmost seriousness."

Patch also reached out to the Queen City Mentoring Academy regarding the case and is yet to hear back.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with further information to contact Detective Francin Cifuentes-Nieves at 732-296-1116, or Sergeant Linda Infusino at 732-745-4340.