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James Falletti, 43, of Hackensack was released from the Bergen County Jail on Wednesday, March 15, pending court action following his arrest on Monday, records show.
Falletti "sexually assaulted [a] child, who was younger than 16 years old, in Elmwood Park," Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The married Falletti taught science and world languages for seven years at St. Leo's Catholic School in Elmwood Park, beginning in 2010, according to his online resume.
He left St. Leo's for Corpus Christi Catholic School in Hasbrouck Heights in July 2017 -- a month after the child sex assault allegedly occurred.
Falleti has since taught science to 5th-, 6th- and 7th-graders at Corpus Christi.
The Archdiocese of Newark said Wednesday that Falletti "has not been active as a teacher in any archdiocesan school since August 2021."
The archdiocese said in a statement that it "was contacted in August 2021 by civil authorities regarding allegations against middle-school teacher Mr. James Falletti. Appropriate actions were taken in response to the matter, with our highest priority being the safety of the children entrusted to our care. This week, civil authorities advised of charges against Falletti and his subsequent arrest.
"We are awaiting the outcome of investigations by civil authorities and agencies, including by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, with whom we are cooperating fully.
"The Archdiocese remains committed to the protection of all the faithful of our Church and takes all allegations of misconduct seriously," the statement concluded. "We encourage all to stay vigilant in our steadfast commitment to protecting all children, especially those entrusted to our care in our school communities."
Five years ago, Falletti beat out more than 1,500 other teachers worldwide to earn one of 200 spots at the Honeywell Educators Space Academy, earning a trip to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
He was one of four educators from around the world to serve as ambassadors for Honeywell after learning from rocket scientists and engineers at the center.
Last year, Falletti received a Patricia F. Kane Environmental Education Award of Excellence from the New Jersey Audobon Society, as well as a Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award from the NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Falletti participates in NASA's Solar System Ambassadors Program, which is described as a "public engagement effort that works with motivated volunteers across the nation to communicate the science and excitement of NASA's space exploration missions and discoveries with the people in their communities."
Falletti was charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and child endangerment through sexual conduct this week following an investigation by Foligno's Special Victims Unit and Elmwood Park police, the prosecutor said.
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