It’s official: teacher out of Long Branch district
Popular teacher says life turned upside down after charges
of drug use, sexual assault
CAROLYN O’CONNELL Lisandra Zingaro of Ocean Township reflects on the good life she had just a couple of weeks ago. She now faces criminal charges and unemployment.
A Long Branch High School teacher facing criminal charges will receive her final paycheck, but she is no longer employed by the city school district.
Members of the Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to not renew the contract of Long Branch High School English teacher Lisandra Zingaro.
Police went to the Ocean Township home of Zingaro, 31, to check on a possible suicide involving a female using prescription medication after a 911 call was received at 12:49 p.m. May 25. Upon arrival, the police found and questioned Zingaro, who uses three prescription drugs for a medical condition.
After speaking with her and checking the date she had received her medication and counting the number of pills, they required Zingaro, who said she told police she had used cocaine, to go to the hospital. There her condition was checked, and she was subsequently released without any charges filed.
Zingaro was formally charged for possession of cocaine at police headquarters May 28, according to Detective Lt. Antonio V. Amodio Jr. She was issued a summons and released.
On the day she was taken to the hospital, police also arrested a 14-year-old Long Branch High School student who was in Zingaro’s home. He was charged with possession of cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine. The student, who is a friend of Zingaro’s 13-year-old son, had spent the night at her home.
According to Amodio, that juvenile was not the only youth at the home the previous night. He said there were five to 10 juveniles at the home on May 24. Police were not called to the home while those juveniles, who Zingaro said were at her home from roughly 9 to 10:30 p.m., were there. She said the juveniles who were at her home left while she was on the phone involved in an argument with her now ex-boyfriend.
Zingaro also said that contrary to published reports, she is not facing any charges related to doing drugs with any juveniles.
On Tuesday she spoke with Greater Media Newspapers about her arrest, the charges she faces, and the effect all this has had on her life. The incidents surrounding her arrest have been the subject of intense media attention.
Two days after the cocaine charge, Zingaro also was charged with the sexual assault of a 16-year-old male, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Honecker Jr.
Zingaro said that the 16-year-old named in the sexual assault charge was not at her home on either May 24 or 25. She was taken to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on the sexual assault charge in lieu of $50,000 bail. She was released on May 31 after posting full bail.
Zingaro claims she had no sexual contact with the 16-year-old, a former Long Branch High School student, who was never in any of her classes and whom she met through a mutual friend.
Following the filing of the cocaine charge, Detective Amodio said that on the day police initially went to the home, they did find a note, written by the 14-year-old, that mentioned suicide, but did not mention who would commit suicide.
Zingaro said she had read the note, and it did not say anything about suicide. The subject of the note was about the problems many teen-agers experience, according to Zingaro, and expressed the emotions many teens feel.
Zingaro said she heard the police when they entered her home on May 25.
"The door opened. They did not knock or ring the doorbell, and they [police] walked in. They explained they were there for a suicide call, and immediately conducted a search for pills," she said.
She added that her children — she has a daughter, 11, and a 13-year-old son — were not at home when police arrived. She said her son was next door playing basketball, and her daughter, who turns 12 later this month, had walked to a nearby store to purchase bagels.
In addition to losing her job, Zingaro said she is also is fighting on a daily basis to see her children, who are now in the custody of her ex-husband.
She said that before the incident, she had the perfect life; she was able to enjoy time with her family, and her professional life was very rewarding. She said Long Branch, where she also worked as a student teacher while attending Monmouth University from which she graduated with honors, has a student population similar to the school she attended growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and she related well to the children she taught.
"Kids at school are more than just kids to me," Zingaro said. "That is my tragic flaw. They are like my own kids. I’m the kind of teacher, if a kid didn’t have lunch money, I would give it to them.
"When people would ask me, ‘How are your kids?’ I would say, ‘Which ones, the ones at home or the ones at school?’ "
Prior to her arrest, Zingaro was very active and involved at the school. She was the adviser for the sophomore class and took part in a mentoring program the school has for at-risk students.
"It’s called a mentor-transition program. I was focused on 10 to 12 students who need interaction with teachers for support," Zingaro said.
In addition to her official duties as a teacher, class adviser and mentor, Zingaro frequently took part in other school events. In fact, she is prominently mentioned in many senior class wills in this year’s yearbook, which went to press before her arrest.
School officials also looked favorably upon her work, giving her positive reviews and selecting her for delivering a presentation on classroom management at the start of the year.
While she is no longer a teacher in the Long Branch school system, she said many of those she worked with have been supportive.
"I feel supported by the staff and the people that matter the most," Zingaro said.
Peter O’Mara, the Red Bank attorney retained by Zingaro to defend her against the cocaine possession and sexual assault charges, said the only evidence he is aware of regarding the latter charge is the testimony of the young man involved.
He noted that he has not received much information in his communication with police and the Prosecutor’s Office so far. He did say he is aware that many of the juveniles who have been questioned in the case, including the 14-year-old who was charged with the drug crimes and the 16-year-old who is connected to the sexual assault charge, have been told by police that they cannot contact Zingaro.
Honecker said the investigation will be concluded by the end of this week. He said he expects that additional sexual offense charges involving other juveniles will be filed early next week.
A court date on the charges is not set. O’Mara said he expects the trial to take place within four to six months.