Bergen County, NJ teacher charged with juvenile sex assault

ELMWOOD PARK — A science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics teacher at a Bergen County Catholic school was arrested Monday following a months-long probe into allegations he sexually assaulted a child younger than 16.

The alleged offense committed by James Falletti, 43, of Hackensack, had been investigated by the Elmwood Park Police Department since last Aug. 30, according to a release Wednesday from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Falletti's LinkedIn profile identifies him as a middle school STEAM educator at Corpus Christi School in Hasbrouck Heights, but his name did not appear on a faculty and staff directory page as of Wednesday afternoon.

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An affidavit of probable cause obtained by New Jersey 101.5 said the alleged abuse occurred June 8, 2017 at St. Leo's School in Elmwood Park, where Falletti worked for seven years ending in July 2017, according to his LinkedIn.

The affidavit alleges that Falletti showed pornography to a male, 7th-grade student during an afterschool program, and then engaged in mutual masturbation with the boy.

The Fair Lawn-Glen Rock Daily Voice reported that around the same time as this incident, Falletti was chosen as one of four worldwide ambassadors for the Honeywell Educators Space Academy, and had received commendations from NASA and the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Falletti was arrested in Paramus and charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact.

The Daily Voice report said that Falletti was released from the Bergen County Jail on Wednesday pending court action.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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