NJ teacher groomed, groped her student — a 14-year-old girl — in school hallway

Jenna Sciabica, a special education language arts teacher at the center of the firestorm, fondled the girl's breasts in a school hallway March 13, the family alleged in court papers.

The parents of a 14-year-old New Jersey girl allegedly molested by her female teacher and mentor are now suing. They have released disturbing new details of how the educator allegedly groomed their daughter with sex talk and then groped her breasts in a school hallway.

The accusations have divided the Marlboro, N.J. community, angering some parents who claim the district and police mishandled the case and were slow to respond.

The accusations have ripped the Marlboro community apart, enraging parents who claim the district kept mum about the allegations while police mishandled the case

Jenna Sciabica, a special education language arts teacher, allegedly fondled the girl on March 13 at Marlboro Memorial Middle School, according to court papers filed on May 1 in Monmouth County Superior Court. The family claims that the incident occurred when the student was walking to class and Sciabica called her over while standing in the doorway of her classroom.

The court documents state that Sciabica began fondling and rubbing the girl’s breast with one hand, using both hands to inappropriately touch her breasts. The family alleges that Sciabica also placed her hand on the girl’s forehead to imply that she was feeling hot.

Sciabica is a “predator," the alleged victim’s mother told the Marlboro Board of Education at its April 16 meeting

During the incident, Sciabica reportedly had a gratifying smile on her face while the girl remained frozen in shock, according to the court papers. The girl eventually managed to block Sciabica’s hands and ran down the hallway, where another teacher who witnessed the incident heard Sciabica yell for the girl to come back.

The assault was captured entirely on camera, the filing states.

The family further alleges that Sciabica had been tutoring the girl's younger siblings, who have special needs, for over a year, and would engage in sexually explicit conversations with female students at the school.

Despite another student reporting Sciabica’s inappropriate behavior to the school guidance counselor, no action was taken, the family claims.

The 14-year-old Marlboro Memorial Middle School student was walking to her class when Sciabica "just happened to be standing in the doorway of her own classroom" and called the student over, the family contends.

The lawsuit names Sciabica, the school district, the school board, and the Marlboro superintendent as defendants and seeks unspecified damages. Sciabica’s attorney, Mitchell Ansell, has called the lawsuit baseless and defamatory, stating that his client has an unblemished record and has received widespread support since the charges were brought.