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'Distressing': Chess Club Teacher Sexually Assaulted Verona Student, Authorities Say
Matthew Swajkowski, a 36-year-old Verona resident and teacher, was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a student, prosecutors said.
Swajkowski oversaw the chess club at Verona High School and the victim was a member of the club, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II said.
Police began investigating Swajkowski in July and determined he engaged in sexual conduct with the minor and also gave them alcohol, Stephens said. Swajkowski was arrested on Friday, Sept. 22, Stephens said.
Prosecutors did not say how old the victim is, but noted "while the ag…
Larry Burdett, Ex-Chief And Longtime Member Of The Verona FD, Dies
Larry Burdett, who followed in his father’s footsteps and served as a firefighter in Verona for decades, has died, the township’s fire department said Thursday.
Burdett, who celebrated a birthday Thursday, failed to show up for work, first responders told Daily Voice. He was found at home by police sent on a welfare check.
A lifelong Verona resident, Burdett attended F.N. Brown and H.B. Whitehorne schools before graduating from Verona High School in 1969, according to his bio on the Old Verona web page. He was also an Eagle Scout with Troop 5.
Burdett joined the Verona Auxiliary Fire De…
