A New Jersey teacher accused of molesting a 12-year-old student in a school storage closet four years ago has died ahead of his trial, which was set to begin next month, according to an obituary.
Paul VanHouten, 57, of Williamstown, died on Thursday. A cause of death was not included.
A trial for VanHouten was scheduled to begin on March 4 on charges of second-degree sexual assault, child endangerment and official misconduct. The charges were announced in July 2020 following a five-month investigation.
VanHouten was a science teacher at Williamstown Middle School in Monroe Township when he molested the girl in February 2020, authorities said. He threatened to fail the student if she told anyone, authorities said. He was immediately suspended in February after the girl’s mother reported the incident to officials.
VanHouten had pleaded not guilty to the charges. His attorney Robert N. Agre declined to comment on the defense’s planned arguments at trial.
Following the arrest, the student’s family filed a lawsuit against VanHouten and the Monroe Township School District.
In that suit, she alleged that after finishing a quiz in VanHouten’s class, he asked her to help him retrieve materials for a class science experiment from the storage closet.
The charges were not the first time VanHouten was accused of criminal activity as a teacher.
He was charged in 2018with creating false public alarm for a social media post about a student purportedly threatening the school. A municipal judge later dismissed harassment charges against him in the case.
VanHouten’s statement made in 2018 happened days after 17 people were killed during a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. In the weeks after that massacre, police across New Jersey charged several students with making threats against their schools.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
