What to Know
- A retired drama teacher and theater director at a New Jersey middle school is accused of sexual contact with a student while on school grounds several years ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Summit Police Chief Andrew Bartolotti jointly announced Monday.
- Ronald Wells, 69 and of Summit, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
- The charges stem from an investigation by the Summit Police Department in which it was revealed that the alleged incident took place in 2016.
A retired drama teacher and theater director at a New Jersey middle school is accused of sexual contact with a student while on school grounds several years ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Summit Police Chief Andrew Bartolotti jointly announced Monday.
Ronald Wells, 69 and of Summit, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
Convictions on second-degree criminal offenses are commonly punishable by terms of 5 to 10 years in state prison.
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Attorney information for Wells was not immediately known.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Summit Police Department in which it was revealed that the alleged incident took place in 2016 in a private third-floor room of the Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School, according to Special Victims Unit Supervisor and Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, who is prosecuting the
case.
Prosecutors say that Wells, who was arrested Friday, allegedly asked the victim to join him after school hours to model costumes for a school play. Allegedly, between costume changes, Wells began sexually touching the student.
News
The prosecution intends to file a petition to keep Wells detained pending the outcome of the case against him, Lawlor said.
“No child should be exposed to this kind of criminal conduct in our schools, especially from a person entrusted with their education,” said Ruotolo.
In a comment to NBC 4 New York, a spokesperson for Summit Public Schools said: "While we cannot comment on the situation because it is a personnel matter, the safety and well-being of our students is absolutely paramount to our entire school community. Our school counselors continue to be available for our students and families."
Anyone with information about this or similar incidents involving defendant Wells is can contact Summit Police Department Detective Sgt. Ryan Peters at 908-273-5871.
