52°
Julie Rizzitello, 36, of Brick Township, was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree witness tampering, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, July 17.
She was previously charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree witness tampering, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
Investigators said they found evidence of Rizzitello sexually assaulting a second student, with the assaults beginning in 2017.
"On multiple occasions in Brick Township – Rizzitello allegedly engaged in various sexual acts with the second victim," Santiago said.
Rizzitello was arrested on Wednesday, July 3, and submitted her resignation letter earlier that week. Her charges stemmed from sexual assault accusations involving the first reported victim from earlier in 2024.
Rizzitello was given charges in Monmouth and Ocean counties since the accusations included incidents in at least three communities: Belmar, Brick Township, and Wall Township.
According to her now-deleted teacher profile, Rizzitello was a ninth-grade English teacher and also taught SAT prep courses at Wall High School. She was also listed as an advisor for several groups, including the class of 2026.
Rizzitello has been held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution since her arrest. She was scheduled for a detention hearing on Tuesday, July 23.
Anyone with information about Rizzitello should call the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or the Wall Township Police Department at 732-449-4500.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Forked River-Lacey and receive free news updates.
