NJ gym teacher accused of showing 15-year-old student lewd image in Instagram story

🚨 NJ gym teacher/coach charged in case involving 15-year-old

📱 Charges with sending inappropriate electronic messages

🏫 Suspended from Catholic high school pending investigation

A gym teacher at a North Jersey Catholic high school was arrested after an investigation for "inappropriate electronic messages" to a teen student.

Rashid Darrisaw, of Haledon, was accused of showing part of his penis to a 15-year-old through his private Instagram stories, according to investigators.

The 39-year-old Darrisaw is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child through sexual conduct.

Catholic high school suspends teacher amid investigation

Darrisaw was suspended from his job as a gym teacher and girls’ flag football coach at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, pending the outcome of the investigation, the Diocese of Paterson confirmed to New Jersey 101.5.

The suspension went into effect “as soon as the allegation was brought to the diocese's attention,” a spokesperson added.

Investigation timeline and arrest details

Detectives with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit began to look into the reported behavior on March 17.

The night before, a student at DePaul Catholic received direct messages from Darrisaw on Instagram.

He then mentioned his private stories, which the teen was granted access to view and saw a photo that showed half of the coach's penis, according to an affidavit filed by investigators.

The student took screenshots of messages and told her mother, and then a school guidance counselor the next day, who contacted administrators and police.

As an investigation was launched, Darrisaw called the student, who said she didn't think he should be contacting her and then hung up, the affidavit said.

Darrisaw was arrested on March 27.

He appeared in court the following day and was released with pretrial monitoring.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office has asked anyone to share potentially relevant information to contact their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO.

Coaching history spans multiple NJ programs

Darrisaw has also coached boys’ football extensively over the past decade.

He was an assistant football coach for nine years at DePaul Catholic before taking on the newer flag football program, which competes in the spring.

Before that, he was a wide receivers coach at Don Bosco Prep High School from 2014 to 2016.

Last August, Darrisaw joined the William Paterson University football staff as an assistant coach.

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