Multiple U.S. Teachers Charged With Sexual Misconduct

Multiple teachers across the United States have recently been charged in unrelated cases of sexual misconduct and child exploitation involving students. In Chester County, Pennsylvania, Michelle Mercogliano, a special education teacher at Conestoga High School, faces 63 counts including institutional sexual assault and corruption of minors after allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student and providing him with marijuana. In Texas, Zachary Barnett, a former music teacher, has been charged with possessing hundreds of files of child pornography, including images of his own students. New Jersey history teacher Jack Wilder is charged with possessing child pornography and attempting to entice a minor by soliciting explicit images and offering payment for sexual activity. Kenneth Strout, a former Massachusetts teacher, is accused of sexually charged interactions and inappropriate messaging with multiple ex-students, with claims that administrators attempted to conceal the misconduct. Authorities in each state stress the serious breach of trust and reaffirm their commitment to student safety.