WEST ORANGE

— As she left the courtroom this morning flanked by her attorney, tears streamed down Erica DePalo’s face.

The 33-year-old former West Orange High School teacher had just admitted to a judge in Superior Court in Newark that she had sex with a 15-year-old student who was in her honors English class. Under the terms of the plea deal, she will never teach again, must register as a sex offender and spend at least 15 years under parole supervision.

If DePalo had gone to trial, she could have faced up to ten years in prison if she had been convicted. The plea deal also saves the victim from having to testify in court.

DePalo, who won accolades in her near decadelong teaching career, will receive a three-year suspended sentence (meaning she will serve no time in prison) and life parole supervision under the terms of the plea agreement when she is sentenced April 29. She will be eligible to apply for relief from parole supervision after 15 years.

In court today, Judge Peter Ryan explained to DePalo that she must undergo a psychological evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, forfeit her teaching license and never seek public employment.

DePalo must also register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and is barred from having contact with the victim.

In August, police charged DePalo with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child after discovering she’d had a sexual relationship with the 15-year-old boy. The first two charges were dropped as part of the deal.

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Today, DePalo appeared in court dressed in a gray pencil skirt and suit jacket, her brown hair pulled tightly back in a bun. She sat and answered questions posed by her attorney, Anthony Alfano, admitting that on June 27, 2012, a 15-year-old male student came to her Montclair apartment after school and the two had sex.

Assistant Prosecutor Tony Gutierrez said he had briefed the boy’s father on the plea and the family was happy with the deal.

Gutierrez said text messages between DePalo and the boy "made it clear they were in something of a relationship." Prosecutors have said the relationship was the only one DePalo had with a minor and that it lasted from June 15 until Aug. 28.

The plea came before the case was heard by the grand jury.

"It’s fair to say everybody wanted to get this over and done with," Gutierrez said.

In her nine years at West Orange High School, DePalo won Essex County Teacher of the Year honors for her work with freshmen and sophomores. She taught honors English, creative writing, college prep and journalism and coached junior varsity girls tennis.

As she left the courtroom with her attorney she stepped quickly into an elevator and declined to comment.

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