Parents urge more oversight on teacher-student interaction BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer WOODBRIDGE - Over a dozen parents from the six schools in the Colonia section of the township came to the Board of Education meeting last week to find out what the school district was doing in response to five alleged sexual incidents in the past four years. "We have not heard from the school district on what is being done," said Jacki Cheslow, who is co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Colonia High School and has a 15-yearold daughter at the school. "What we hear is rumors that go through the schools and what we read in the newspapers." The most recent incident occurred on Jan. 29, when township police arrested Craig Yarnall, 37, a ColoniaMiddle School physical education teacher and former Colonia High School junior varsity soccer coach, after an investigation by township police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. Yarnall was charged with official misconduct and sexual misconduct, both seconddegree crimes, in connection with an inappropriate relationship he was allegedly having with a 17-year-old female student since April 2007. State Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa, sitting in New Brunswick, set Yarnall's bail at $150,000 with no 10 percent option on Jan. 30. If convicted, Yarnall, who is married and is a World Natural Body Building Federation professional body builder, could face up to 20 years in prison. Yarnall was suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case by the Board of Education, authorities said. The investigation into the case against Yarnall is still ongoing, authorities, said. Cheslow, along with other parents, addressed the board at the meeting on Feb. 13 and expressed concerns about the incidents. Four additional incidents had occurred in the past, three involving Colonia High School teachers. The three are no longer employed by the school district. In February 2007, Karen Binder, 42, of Manalapan, a Colonia High School social studies teacher, was arrested and charged with two separate counts of official misconduct after allegedly sending numerous sexually explicit text messages to a 17-year-old Colonia High School student and a 16-year-old student who did not attend the high school. The status of Binder's case was not known at press time. In December 2006, Michael Petak, 31, of Marlboro, a Colonia High School social studies and economics teacher and the head coach of the girls varsity soccer team, was arrested and charged with official misconduct, witness tampering and attempted tampering with physical evidence in connection with an inappropriate relationship he was allegedly having with a 17-year-old student. Petak was placed on probation. In November 2004, five Colonia High School seniors - an 18-year-old and four 17-year-olds, all members of the boys soccer team - were arrested and charged with assault in connection with the alleged assault of two 16-yearold teammates in the locker room prior to a game. Shahryar Shroff, who was 18 years old at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult with criminal restraint and assault. One of the 17-yearolds was charged as a juvenile with the same offenses. The other three juveniles were charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint and conspiracy. One of the juveniles was also charged with making terroristic threats after he allegedly threatened one of the victims. All five students were placed on probation. About two weeks after the locker room incident, a Colonia High School shop teacher, Edward Billings of Iselin, who was 33 years old at the time, was arrested for purposely touching the buttocks of a 16-year-old female student. Billings was charged with criminal sexual contact with the student and he was placed on probation. The parents met with board members on Feb. 4 and with Superintendent Vincent Smith and Colonia High School Principal RobertMcLaughlin on Feb. 11 to discuss ways to improve the communication between the school district and the parents during these types of situations. "Unfortunately, these situations shed a black eye on our school district … it's sad when we do have so many outstanding teachers," said Smith. "We continue to monitor what is going on, but there are just a few bad apples and that comes with any profession. We deal with situations like these swiftly and as successfully as we can." The superintendent agreed with the parents that it was strange that the incidents were concentrated in one area of the school district. "I can't explain it," he said. "And I don't know why a 37-year-old would be interested in a 17-year-old." The superintendent reassured the parents that the district is constantly talking about the boundaries between teachers and students. "We address sexual harassment as part of the training for our teachers and staff," said Smith. Smith stressed no incident has been covered up by the school administration. "When an incident arises, it is first a personnel issue, which is under confidentiality," he said. "We work with law enforcement, and as they are investigating an incident, it is inappropriate for us to speak about the case." Cheslow and the other parents said they understand that some information has to be kept confidential. "We are just asking to be kept informed on what the school district is doing [about the incidents]," she said. The parents' suggestions to the school district included increasing training for teachers as well as for the children. Cheslow added that information could be posted in the newsletters and also through the new Honeywell Instant Alert security system that the school district implemented in November. Smith said the school administration appreciates the parents' suggestions, and the administration will consider implementing them in the future. Cheslow said after the parents met with school officials, they left on a positive note.