A former Pleasantville teacher and Ocean City lifeguard who pleaded guilty last year to endangering the welfare of a child in connection to a 2021 assault surrendered his teaching certificates last month, the New Jersey Board of Examiners said.
Jonathan Howell, 43, of the Marmora section of Upper Township, was sentenced to four years’ probation by Judge J. Christopher Gibson in June 2024. As a result of the plea, he was barred from public employment.
The board ordered Howell last November to show cause as to why his certificates shouldn’t be revoked. Howell held two mathematics certificates, which were issued in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
But Howell presented a proposal to the board that he would give up his certificates with the force and effect of a revocation. The board voted to accept Howell’s relinquishment during its Sept. 19 meeting, the board wrote in its decision.
A former Pleasantville teacher and Ocean City lifeguard was sentenced to four years’ probation for a 2021 assault, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said Thursday.
The board’s decision didn’t detail the specific allegations against Howell, but he was indicted Jan. 21, 2023, on charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, official misconduct and two counts of endangering. He was employed as a teacher in the Pleasantville school district as well as by the Ocean City Beach Patrol when he was charged June 2, 2022.
The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office began investigating the Ocean City Beach Patrol after claims surfaced on social media in April 2021, according to a prior news release. More than 160 posts were found on an Instagram account, @ocbp_predators, that solicited stories of sexual harassment involving the Beach Patrol. The names were redacted online, so identities were protected.
The posts prompted Ocean City to hire a private investigator, who then entered into a joint effort with the Prosecutor’s Office, city officials said in 2022 following the hiring.
Contact John O’Connor:
609-272-7247
joconnor@pressofac.com
X @acpressoconnor
Want to see more like this?
Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
John O’Connor
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today