The Firm’s Layne Feldman Continues To Pursue Defamation Claims Arising Out of Baseless Allegations
In a case that attracted both widespread media attention as well as bomb and death threats, Mitchell Ansell secured a not guilty verdict on behalf of a Marlboro middle school teacher charged with harassment for allegedly molesting one of her students. Municipal Court Judge James M. Newman’s decision, coming shortly after a contentious November 21, 2024, bench trial, completely exonerated Jenna Sciabica, whom Ansell has represented since shortly after the March 13, 2024, incident that led to the charges. Ansell.Law’s Layne Feldman is currently pursuing defamation claims on behalf of Sciabica against the female student’s parents, school staff, and other individuals who made disparaging and false allegations against her online.
Noting that Sciabica had an impeccable record as a special education teacher and had become friends with the student’s mother when she was tutoring her two brothers at their home twice a week, Ansell said that charges of harassment by inappropriate touching were baseless and should never have been brought.
“Jenna is an exemplary educator and person who did nothing inappropriate, much less illegal, in her interactions with the student. I’m pleased the judge recognized the injustice of the charges,” Ansell said.
Sciabica was accused of touching the girl’s breast in a school hallway when another teacher and students were present. As stated in Sciabica’s defamation claims, the March 13 incident, which was captured on video, was a continuation of a conversation Sciabica had at the girl’s home when the girl’s mother asked Sciabica to comment on a dress that the girl was trying on that appeared to be too big in the chest. When she saw the girl in the hallway with a teacher and students present, Sciabica spoke with her about the dress. “She tapped the student’s chest with one hand, twice,” according to Sciabaca’s filing.
As reported in the Asbury Park Press, Marlboro Detective Michael Pecararo testified at the trial that the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case twice, both times finding that no sexual offense was committed in the hallway that day. His investigation lasted more than a month.
Ansell argued that for Sciabica to be found guilty, the prosecution had to prove there was intent to harass when the touching incident occurred. Since there was no evidence of any conscious objective to harass, the state had not met its burden, compelling a not-guilty verdict. Within hours after the conclusion of the trial, the judge agreed.
Feldman said that the false accusations made by the student’s mother, video of which was widely circulated online and loudly echoed by others in the community, have upended Sciabica’s life and devastated her career.
“The not guilty verdict, while more than warranted and welcome, does not change the fact that the individuals behind these outrageous claims have caused Jenna irreparable harm and distress that she has had to live with and will continue to live with going forward,” Feldman said.
“Death threats, harassment, and the trauma of the entire ordeal were all foreseeable consequences of these irresponsible, unsupportable claims,” she continued. “We hope that being vindicated in this case provides Jenna with some sense of justice, but we will continue to seek accountability from those who so cavalierly shattered her life.”
