Ex-Triton Teachers Get House Arrest, Probation for Student Relationships
'...This incident is going to be the one thing you're remembered for,' a judge tells Jeffrey Logandro and Daniel Michielli, both of Blackwood, as they're sentenced in a Camden courtroom Friday.
Jeffrey Logandro and Daniel Michielli, two former teachers who pleaded guilty to charges surrounding improper relations with students at Triton Regional High School, were sentenced Friday to 30 days of electronically monitored home detention and three years probation.
Both defendants sat silently in court Friday during and after their sentencing for third-degree conspiracy to commit official misconduct. Michelli, 27, of of Blackwood, sat on the left side of a Camden courtroom, alone, staring at the floor, as about a dozen supporters and families of the victims, two teenage girls, sat on the right side. He wore a light tan suit and tan striped tie.
Logandro, sat silently next to his attorney, Len Biddison, staring at a table as Biddison implored Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Brown Jr. to consider his client's "spotless" criminal and professional record and only impose two years of probation.
Both Logandro or Michelli declined to say anything when the judge asked them if they had a statement. Then Brown spoke.
"The relationship between a student and a teacher is sacred," he said. "You have violated that trust. For all the good that you've done as teachers, this incident is going to be the one thing you're remembered for."
Brown also cited a statement from Logandro's victim, read by Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Mark Chase, as summing up the keys to the case.
"Her reputation, integrity, self-respect and image have all been compromised by her teacher who we all knew so well and loved," Chase said. "Looking back now, I can see why she never wanted to get up and go to school during her senior year. Now I know how she spent her senior year in high school, being afraid of you, your actions toward her and the pressure from you to keep your secret."
Logandro and Michielli walked out of the courtroom 15 minutes after the proceedings, uncuffed, accompanied by a sheriff's deputy. They walked down a long hallway to the elevator and refused to comment when asked questions about how they felt and why they got involved sexually with students.
Triton has dealt with the fallout of the scandal since it came to light in October 2012. Logandro, Michielli and gym teacher Nicholas Martinelli were accused of varying sexual encounters with students. Principal Catherine DePaul and vice principal Jernee Kollock were accused of covering up the crimes.
All three teachers and DePaul have already pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case. Martinelli was the latest. He admitted in court Thursday to hindering an investigation into his alleged improper relationship with a student, and immediately resigned his position.
Charges against Kollock are pending.
The three students involved in the case, whose identities haven't been released, filed a tort notice announcing their intention to potentially sue the school district over the matter. All of the teens graduated from Triton in 2012.
For past coverage of the Triton Teacher-Student Sex Scandal, see:
- Third Triton Teacher in Student Sex Case Pleads Guilty
- Triton Sex Scandal Victims Might Sue School District
- Former Triton Principal, Teachers Collected $95K+ While Suspended
- Triton Teachers Plead Guilty, Face 30 Days Jail or House Arrest
- 'Foundation Jeopardized': School District Responds to Guilty Pleas
- Alleged Triton Sex Scandal Defendants Due in Court
- BHPRSD Board Approves Mackie as Interim Triton Principal
- PR Firm Bill Falls in BHPRSD Solicitor's $10K-$15K Estimate
- BHPRSD Board Moves to Take Suspended Triton Educators' Pay
- Suspended Triton Educators Still Drawing Paychecks?
- School District Hires PR Firm in Wake of Triton Sex Scandal
- Prosecutor: 'Moral, Ethical and Legal Failures' in Triton Sex Case
- District, Superintendent Issue Statements on Triton Sex Scandal
- 'Shocked,' 'Astonished' Triton Students React to Sex Scandal
- Triton Teachers, Administrators Charged in Sex Scandal
- [UPDATE] Triton Teachers Under Investigation
Andre Bademos
5:10 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Jane not for anything but it seems there is a lot more to your neighbors story then your alluding to maybe your friend downplayed his comments when talking to you to make himself not look like a racist who was committing a hate crime or maybe you are embellishing the benign nature of your friends comments. There has to be some back round your leaving out. Either way I find it hard to believe any judge would put anyone in jail for a year because he said the word "monkey" "within earshot" of an African American co worker. What was your friends name lets see what really happened. I venture to bet you will not be able to provide the name for some odd reason right?
All that said these guys do deserve more punishment then they got.
Lauren Burgoon
5:11 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Here's more on the case she's referring to with the alleged racial bias incident: http://patch.com/A-14Tl
Paul J. DiBartolo
11:16 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
A lot of "he said", "she said" on that one.
Greg
8:49 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
It's all about who you know! These boys must be part of the click. A PR firm was hired. Somebody wanted to protect the boys and the Administrators and make sure the court didn't go to hard on them.
Charles Mihalitsch
11:16 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Sorry Jane after reading the article, he gets no sympathy. He doesn't deserve jail time unless he has a record of previous crimes. He definitely deserved to lose his job though. Him and the other guy who locked the man in the cage and made jokes were idiots. In today's day in age you definitely don't do that.
Greg
8:49 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
I'm with Jane B. This was wrong what they did to all those kids. Totally Petty and it was obviously personal. Hopefully things will turn around for their favor.
Schu
11:16 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Slap on the wrist.
Matthew1987
11:01 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
If this were male students and a female teacher, people would be saying, "Those boys are lucky."
Paul J. DiBartolo
12:33 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
So, what are you saying, Matthew? If your junior or freshman son is serviced by his female teacher...great job, son, a chip off the old block; and if you junior or senior daughter gets done by her male teacher, great job, honey, just like your mom? Did you think before you wrote that comment?
Matthew1987
1:51 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
@Paul J. DiBartolo
I wouldn't say that, but many people would -- if it were male students and a female teacher.
Look at the news articles on such cases. The comments sections are full of such comments.
Paul J. DiBartolo
4:07 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
The impression you left from your original comment was that you were kind of giving it a pass because it wasn't so bad and you seemed to be quoting others to justify that opinion. Did I misread you?
Forget about others, I can neither control what they think and say, nor do I think I could ever engage them in an intelligent conversation when they think such. I asked you. Additionally, your attempt to separate between what might be okay for a boy versus a girl will not fly.
Allow me a moment...what's wrong with a teacher taking advantage of a 17-year old girl under his care that for some reason is okay when it's a female teacher taking advantage of a teenage boy? When that boy grows up and marries a young woman, is it too hard to believe that maybe there's something left over in his mind from those kinds of experiences? I think, given the choice, I'd rather see my daughters marry young men who never had that particular experience you suggest might not be so bad.
Matthew1987
8:14 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
@Paul J. DiBartolo
You know, I'm not disagreeing with you.
As for my original comment... I suppose there are two ways it could have been interpreted, that it wasn't so bad, or that both are bad. I meant the latter.
I think the punishment the teachers in this case recieved was reasonable.
If the girls were underage, that would warrant more severe punishment.
Schu
12:33 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
The message about this case is, fool around and you will only get 30 days of house arrest.
Paul J. DiBartolo
1:51 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Hopefully they will never swing from the government teat again...
Angie Jones
4:07 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
I pray to God Matthew doesn't have kids.
Matthew1987
8:14 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
I don't. But don't worry, I don't approve of this.
Angie Jones
4:07 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
So, DevilMayhem, you have no problem with your daughters getting screwed by their teachers- as long as they're over 16?
DevilMayhem666
11:16 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
When did I say that student-teacher relationship was okay? But is it worthly of severe pushiment? If its 100% mutual, no of course not.
Lauren Burgoon
11:21 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Under NJ law, it cannot be 100% mutual, though. The teachers have supervisory power over the students, so if students are under 18 (even if they're 16 or older), they cannot legally consent. That's why both teachers here were originally charged with criminal sexual content.
NJ's sexual assault laws are laid out here if anyone is interested: http://www.njcasa.org/sexual-violence-nj/new-jersey-law
DevilMayhem666
3:03 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2013
@Lauren Burgoon: Well, I wasn't speaking in terms of legality.
Schu
4:07 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Not this state government. My two concerns are they relocating far away and this happening again. Second are we the GT taxpayers on the hook for Depauls pension?
mathforeveryone
10:55 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
If it was my daughter, I would be the one leaving in handcuffs!
Charles Mihalitsch
4:07 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Greg I was talking about Janes neighbor who she was defending. I think the teachers got off way too easy!
mathforeveryone
10:55 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
They should have to file as sex offenders!
DevilMayhem666
11:16 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
There is really no point in it. The young women were over the Age of Consent and since they are never going to teach again it makes it impossible for them to repeat their crimes.
Marcheal Gideon
10:55 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Female teacher would have got jail time for this.
Matthew1987
8:14 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
A female teacher would have gotten even less.
Matthew1987
8:14 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
To the people saying these teachers got off easy:
The reason they got off easy is the girls weren't underage.
If they were underage, this would be a different story.
Schu
8:58 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Going full circle, do we the taxpayers have to pay for depaul's pension?
Michael
9:22 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Those three girls are as guilty as the teachers. It's not like they're naive teens. They were seniors at the time, young adults about to enter the real world.
Schu
6:43 pm on Saturday, March 30, 2013
Disgraceful.