district will welcome Desimone back
Superintendent says
district will welcome Desimone back
By charles w. kim
Staff Writer
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — A Middlesex County grand jury has decided that there is not enough evidence to indict a high school guidance counselor charged with touching a female student.
The charge of criminal sexual contact against South Brunswick High School guidance counselor Jonathan Desimone, 30, was dismissed Tuesday following a three-week grand jury proceeding, according to Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor Patrick Barnes.
"They found insufficient evidence for the case to be brought to trial," Barnes said Tuesday.
Desimone was charged on Jan. 26 with allegedly touching a female student at the high school on Ridge Road the prior day.
District spokesperson Maribeth Edmunds said then that Desimone, who worked in the district for five years, was assigned to the student as a general guidance counselor.
Desimone was suspended, with pay, from his position following the charge, but will be welcomed back to the post, according to Schools Superintendent Sam Stewart.
"We will welcome him back. We know this has been a difficult time for him," Stewart said Wednesday, adding that he looks forward to meeting with Desimone soon to discuss his return.
Barnes said that the grand jury interviewed many witnesses and reviewed quite a bit of evidence during its "thorough and exhaustive" review of the case.
Barnes said that the charge of criminal sexual contact means the direct touching of private areas by a person with disciplinary or supervisory capacity over the victim.
The victim in this case would be between 16-18.
"This is what the grand jury had to consider," Barnes said, adding that the panel was "very interested and involved in the case."
Desimone’s attorney, Paul Nitolli, said that he was pleased with the decision.
"We knew that Jon would be exonerated," Nitolli said, "He is very devoted to his career. This has devastated him."
Nitolli said that Desimone is looking forward to returning to the district now that the charges have been dismissed.
Nitolli also said that the counselor had passed a polygraph test in relation to the incident, and that the expert from the Prosecutor’s Office had agreed with the results of that test.
"They agreed that he was truthful about the incident," Nitolli said.
There have not been any other allegations regarding Desimone, according to the district.