Jennilynne Derolf: Teacher's aide kills herself in front of boy she sexually assaulted
BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: A 38-year-old teacher's aide from Pennsylvania has died by suicide in front of a 14-year-old male student, whom she was accused of sexually assaulting. 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.
Derolf was released on bail on July 23, 2021, after which she again started meeting with the student secretly. On August 22, the boy's family contacted the police and reported about her secret meetings. 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.
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Who was Jennilynne Derolf?
Derolf was a teacher's aide at Valley Day School in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1958, the private school catered to students with "histories of acute learning, adjustment, behavioral, and/or emotional needs that are obstacles to achieving success in less restrictive school settings."
According to her professional profile, Jennilynne Derolf was working as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Pennsylvania's Valley Day School since 2019. Prior to that, she had worked as a Special Ed Student Aide with Delta-T Group and as an Office Assistant with Groendyke Transport.
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.
As the incident came to light, Derolf was immediately suspended from school and barred from entering the premises. 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 with the student in secret once again. Despite her unprecedented death, the case continues to remain open for investigation.