FREEHOLD, NJ – A former Wall Township High School English teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two students over multiple years.
Julie Rizzitello, 37, received the sentence from Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill O’Malley after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault in August. The charges stem from separate incidents involving two students between 2017 and 2024.
According to court documents, Rizzitello began inappropriate contact with her first victim when he was a freshman at Wall Township High School. The sexual relationship continued from 2017 to 2018, during which prosecutors say Rizzitello became pregnant by the student and subsequently had an abortion.
The second victim was initially contacted when he was a junior at the school, with the inappropriate relationship occurring between April and June 2024 when he had turned 18, according to investigators.
During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge O’Malley read a victim impact statement from the first student, who described suffering anxiety and panic attacks. The victim reportedly dropped out of college as a result of the trauma from the case.
“Not only does he have to deal with the fact that he’s groomed throughout his entire high school years, that he was preyed upon by his teacher, whom he loved and trusted,” Judge O’Malley said during the hearing. “But now he’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that this individual had an abortion and [he] wasn’t comfortable with it.”
Prosecutors said both victims worked at a bagel shop owned by Rizzitello’s family. The investigation revealed that Rizzitello allegedly asked both victims to delete evidence from their personal devices after the inappropriate relationships ended.
Rizzitello was arrested and charged in 2024 after the Wall Township School District and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct between the teacher and students.
Under the terms of her sentence, Rizzitello must serve at least 85 percent of her 10-year term before becoming eligible for parole. She is also required to register as a sex offender upon her release.
