A 36-year-old Middletown High School North teacher and girls’ basketball coach has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in state prison for engaging in a sexual relationship with one of his students, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

Under the terms set down by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn during a hearing held on Friday, the teacher and coach, Justin McGhee, of Ocean Township, must permanently forfeit his public employment and teacher’s license, register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, be subjected to parole supervision for life, refrain from any contact with the victim, and be prohibited from Middletown High School North grounds.

“We as a society bestow a virtually sacred trust upon teachers, whose obligations to educate and protect their students should remain their utmost priority,” Prosecutor Santiago said. “Those who violate that trust for their own selfish indulgences don’t just harm their victims and their families; they harm their colleagues, their school, their district, and society at large.”

The case background …

An investigation led by members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and the Middletown Township Police Department revealed that the alleged criminal conduct by McGhee began in late 2024. McGhee was arrested without incident on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 and then placed on administrative leave; he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree sexual assault in November of 2025.

Judge Butehorn denied a defense request to sentence McGhee in the third-degree range to a reduced term of three years in prison, citing the seriousness of the conduct and the nature of McGhee’s employment.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

• The R-FH Area Weekend: St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Hibernian Party
• Prosecutor: Fatal Three-Vehicle Accident Under Investigation
• Prosecutor: Accident Claims Life of Pedestrian; Investigation Ensues
• Retro RFH Dismal Day Class Clowning
• Retro RFH Boys of Cool Lounge Daze