Former Wall Township High School Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Sexual Assault of Students
An aerial view of Wall Township High School (Source)
Chris Howell | February 12, 2026
A former Wall Township High School teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison for sexually assaulting two of her students over the course of several years, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Julie Rizzitello, 37, of Brick Township, was sentenced this week in Monmouth County Superior Court. In addition to the prison term, she will be subject to Parole Supervision for Life, required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, barred from contact with the victims, and ordered to permanently forfeit her position as an English teacher.
The sentence was handed down by Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley in Freehold.
According to prosecutors, an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau and the Wall Township Police Department revealed that Rizzitello engaged in sexual activity with two male students she met while teaching at Wall Township High School.
One victim met Rizzitello as a freshman and the other as a junior, authorities said. Prosecutors described a pattern of grooming behavior that began with requests to spend time alone and the development of what was characterized as a casually friendly relationship. The conduct later escalated into sexual activity that lasted for several months with each victim.
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The assaults largely took place at Rizzitello’s home in Brick, inside a vehicle in a Wall Township parking lot, and at a Belmar bagel shop owned by her family, where both victims were employed at her suggestion.
While the investigation was ongoing, authorities said Rizzitello contacted both victims and asked them to delete evidence of the crimes from their electronic devices.
She was arrested without incident in July 2024. In August 2025, prior to being indicted, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault before Judge O’Malley.
During sentencing, the judge found that four aggravating factors outweighed a single mitigating factor and denied a defense request for a reduced five-year sentence. In explaining her decision, the judge referenced a victim impact statement read in court.
“These crimes were not isolated incidents constituting moments of poor judgment; they were textbook cases of grooming, involving a defendant who repeatedly leveraged tactics of isolation, manipulation, and control for the sake of her own selfish purposes,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement.
Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran praised the victims for coming forward, calling their actions instrumental in bringing the case to light. He also credited investigators from both agencies for their work in securing the conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Keri-Leigh Schaefer. Rizzitello was represented by attorney Mitch Ansell of Ocean Township.
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