DePaul Catholic gym teacher sent inappropriate messages to student, prosecutor says
Investigators said the case began after members of the Special Victims Unit were notified March 17 that Darrisaw had been exchanging inappropriate electronic messages with a 15-year-old student.
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A Haledon man who worked as a gym teacher and flag football coach at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne has been charged in connection with a child endangerment investigation, Passaic County prosecutors said.
Rashid Darrisaw, 39, was arrested March 27 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Investigators said the case began after members of the Special Victims Unit were notified on March 17 that Darrisaw had been exchanging inappropriate electronic messages with a 15-year-old student.
Prosecutors said Darrisaw was arrested without incident the evening of March 27 near Norwood Street and Van Dyke Avenue in Haledon. He appeared in court on March 28 and was released on pretrial monitoring.
A spokesperson for DePaul Catholic issued the following statement to News 12.
"As soon as the allegation was brought to the diocese's attention, it was reported to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and [Darrisaw] was suspended pending the outcome of the prosecutor's investigation. DePaul Catholic High School and the Diocese of Paterson are fully cooperating with the investigation," the statement read.
The charge carries a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.
