NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey high school teacher was arrested and charged for having a long-term sexual relationship with a former student which began when she was underage, prosecutors said Monday.
The 41-year-old Red Bank Regional High School English teacher, Michael Canning, allegedly began a relationship with a student in 2015 when she was a junior, officials said.
Canning continued the relationship until 2019, engaging in sexual acts multiple times throughout the years around New Jersey, according to authorities.
“These allegations constitute an egregious betrayal of the immense degree of faith we place upon teachers to always act in the best interests of the young minds they are entrusted to develop and educate,” Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. “The charges filed this weekend are emblematic of our firm commitment to ensure that such conduct is never tolerated, and always met with swift action.”
Canning has been a teacher since 2004 but has since been suspended with pay, Red Bank Regional Superintendent Louis Moore told NJ Advance.
On Saturday, officers arrested Canning, who lives in Long Branch, and charged him with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact.
“Please understand that we have taken every step to protect your children, our students and our staff,” a statement Moore wrote to the school community obtained by NJ Advance. “If needed, counselors are available to all students and families.”
Police are still investigating the incident and ask that anyone with information about Canning to contact MCPO Detective Kayla Santiago at 800-533-7443 or Red Bank Police Department Detective Paul Perez at 732-530-2700.
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