Triton Teacher-Student Sex Scandal Charges Dropped for Last Defendant

Jernee Kollock, a former Triton assistant principal, agreed to resign her position in the Black Horse Pike Regional School District in exchange for charges against her to be dropped, Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said Friday. The agreement occurred last month.

Kollock, 39, of Monroe, was charged with not immediately reporting her knowledge of inappropriate physical relationships between several teachers and students at the regional high school in Runnemede. 

In the original complaint against Kollock, authorities accused her directing a victim what to write in a statement about the teacher-student relationships. The student's statement had Kollock's handwritten corrections on it, but the assistant principal did not alert police about the student's relationship with her teacher. 

Kollock’s deal nearly wraps up the legal cases in the Triton scandal, which rocked the school and the community when it came to light last year.

The four other defendants—including three teachers who had inappropriate relations with students and the former principal of the school who admitted to trying to conceal the relationships from authorities—all pleaded guilty to charges. The incidents occurred during the 2011-12 school year.

Former principal Catherine DePaul, who pleaded guilty to a disorderly persons charge of failure to report to law enforcement allegations of child abuse or neglect, was sentenced in February to 30 days probation and forfeiture of her right to hold public office in New Jersey.

Nicholas Martinelli, a former physical education teacher, pleaded guilty in March to fourth-degree hindering apprehension in the case. Martinelli was originally charged with official misconduct in the case. Unlike the other two teachers, Jeffrey Logandro and Daniel Michielli, who were implicated in relationships with underage girls, Martinelli's relationship was with an 18-year-old student.

He admitted in court to impeding an investigation into his improper relationship with the student by telling her to keep their association secret, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

The students involved with Martinelli, Logandro and Michielli indicated they might sue the Black Horse Pike Regional School District.

Another Black Horse Pike Regional School District teacher, David Clune, 34, a math teacher at Timber Creek Regional High School, was arrested Wednesday at his Chestertown Road home and charged with harassment. He reportedly sent more than 70 “flirtatious and inappropriate” text messages and Facebook posts to two recent high school graduates over four days in early July.