A 37-year-old married teacher, Julie Rizzitello, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for engaging in sexual activities with two teenage students. Rizzitello, a mother of two, was impregnated by one of the students after encouraging him to have unprotected intercourse on her birthday.
The court heard that Rizzitello met her first victim while he was a freshman at Wall Township High School in New Jersey. She reportedly had sexual encounters with him multiple times between 2017 and 2018, leading to her pregnancy and subsequent abortion.
Monmouth County Judge Jill Grace accused Rizzitello of “grooming her students,” highlighting the psychological impact on the victims. One victim dropped out of college, expressing feelings of anxiety and panic attacks due to the traumatic experiences.
Rizzitello’s second victim, an 18-year-old junior, was engaged in a sexual relationship with her between April and June 2024. Prosecutors revealed that the illicit acts occurred at various locations, including Rizzitello’s family home, her car, and a bagel shop owned by her family, where both victims were employed at her suggestion.
As suspicions arose following an anonymous tip to school officials, Rizzitello contacted the victims, urging them to delete any incriminating evidence. She was apprehended shortly after resigning from her teaching position in July 2024 and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault. Rizzitello, who must register as a sex offender, was also banned from teaching.
Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran commended the victims for their bravery in coming forward and condemned Rizzitello for betraying the trust of both the victims and the school community.
