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Julie A. Denno, 27, of Ballston Lake, N.Y. is facing charges of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor after allegedly engaging in a relationship that included "inappropriate physical contact" and sexually charged text messages with a 15-year-old boy over a period of several months, prosecutors said in court Friday afternoon.
Denno was arrested on a warrant and turned herself into authorities Friday morning, where she was initially held on $75,000 bail. Judge Bernard D. Gaffney lowered that amount to $5,000 later in the day.
Police said the assault happened over a two-month period in Denno's former home.
They were made aware of her behavior in February, when the boy's mother contacted police about Denno's alleged conduct, which took place between December 2007 and January 2008.
The arrest warrant was sealed by Bristol Superior Court.
It also wasn't clear Friday how long Denno was employed at the school or what her daily responsibilities were, but an administrator there said Denno was suspended without pay and subsequently fired months ago as the investigation unfolded.
"When we became aware of the situation, we cooperated fully with authorities, and the teacher was suspended without pay and ultimately fired in a very timely fashion," said Marilyn Rettig, the school's director of institutional advancement.
Police spokesman Lt. Edward Spyros said officials have no indication that Denno engaged in similar behavior with other juveniles.
"At this time, the investigation shows this to be an isolated incident," Spyros said.
In addition to physical contact between Denno and the teen, the pair swapped more than 2,770 text messages - some which included explicit material, Senior Assistant State's Attorney Chris Watson said.
A single mother of a two-year-old boy with no prior criminal history, Gaffney credited Denno with turning herself in before setting her bond at $5,000.
Denno is currently unemployed and living with her parents in New York.
The father of her child still resides in Connecticut, and Denno lived in the state for about two years.
Denno, who is hearing impaired, said through an American Sign Language interpreter that she understood the charges against her.
Rettig said officials at ASD - the oldest special education institution in the Western hemisphere - acted quickly in the wake of the allegations to protect children under their watch.
"The health, safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority. Nothing takes precedence over that," Rettig said. "Certainly, we've communicated with our parents on a very timely basis, and we've offered all the appropriate support to our families and our students."
Denno is due back in court Oct. 31.
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