Jennilynne Derolf: Teacher aide's 'romantic' affair thwarted by student's grandmom
FALLS TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA: The suicide of Jennilynne Derolf, a 38-year-old teacher's aide from Pennsylvania, was witnessed by a 14-year-old student of hers, whom she was accused of sexually assaulting. Her affair with the victim was first brought to the notice of the law enforcement agents by the teen's grandmother.
Jennilynne Derolf was arrested on July 15, 2021, with allegations of sexually assaulting the teenager from her school. She was charged with felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, and institutional sexual assault, apart from misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and corruption of minors.
She was an aide in the victim's class at Valley Day School in Falls Township, authorities said. Some other teachers who made headlines with sexually inappropriate behavior include Monica Young and Eric Jackson.
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Grandmother notifies the police
According to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, an investigation into Derolf began on June 13, when the victim's grandmother contacted police. She told them she was worried her grandson, who has been identified in the court documents only as VC, was having sex with his teacher. While speaking with detectives, the teenage victim admitted his "romantic" relationship with Derolf, which reportedly started sometime in early June 2021.
The two texted each other for a while before meeting outside school at Falls Township Park. Their relationship took a turn towards "romantic" soon and they engaged in sex three times in July 2021. They became physically intimate twice near Levittown Lake in Tullytown Borough, and once at a baseball field in Bristol.
In a statement, District Attorney Matt Weintraub said: "She not only violated the trust required in any student-teacher relationship, but also that trust that children should be able to have in all adults of authority. She will be held accountable for her criminal acts." According to the school's website, the Valley Day School serves students who require special attention and are classified as emotionally disturbed and/or are neurologically impaired. They cater to kids from across the Delaware Valley. Kids with autism also attend this non-profit K-12 school, enrolled in special education programs.
Derolf takes her own life
As the incident came to light, Derolf was immediately suspended from school and barred from entering the premises or coming in contact with any of the students. She was soon arrested and sent to Bucks County Correctional Facility with a $900,000 bond. At the time of the arrest, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said, "The defendant's conduct is not only reprehensible but criminal. She not only violated the trust required in any student-teacher relationship, but also that trust that children should be able to have in all adults of authority. She will be held accountable for her criminal acts."
She was released on bail about a week later on July 23, with a preliminary hearing date set for October. It was then that she started meeting VC in secret once again. On August 22, the boy's family contacted the police and reported about her secret meetings after finding out that the accused had contacted the teen. As the cops reached the rendezvous, Derolf reportedly shot herself dead with a gun. The entire episode unfolded in front of the teenager.
"Upon the arrival of the police officers, Derolf committed suicide with a firearm," Police Chief Nelson Whitney confirmed.