the staff of the Ridgewood blog
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A former Fair Lawn School District employee arrested for alleged lewd acts inside a middle school building has been confirmed as a former substitute teacher in Ridgewood, authorities and school officials said.
John C. Stewart, 33, of Midland Park, was taken into custody in Paramus on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, following an investigation led by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Fair Lawn Police Department.
Stewart is facing multiple charges, including:
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Second-degree sexual assault by sexual contact
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Second-degree endangering the welfare of a child
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Third-degree burglary (2 counts)
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Third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact
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Fourth-degree criminal sexual contact
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Fourth-degree lewdness
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Fourth-degree trespassing
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Disorderly persons lewdness
According to prosecutors, Stewart, a former Fair Lawn employee, entered Thomas Jefferson Middle School on two separate occasions in July 2025, where he masturbated in various areas of the building. One of these incidents occurred while children were present for a summer activity, though authorities stated there is no evidence that he directly approached any child.
Ridgewood Connection Confirmed
On Thursday, a Ridgewood Public Schools spokesperson confirmed to Patch that Stewart worked as a substitute teacher in the district from spring 2022 until June 2024, but was not employed during the 2024-2025 school year.
“Mr. Stewart was not an employee of our district and did not substitute here in 2024-2025,” the spokesperson said. “However, he did substitute here from the spring of 2022 until June of 2024.”
The district is expected to release a formal statement soon regarding Stewart’s past role and any additional review or action.
July 10, 2025
Dear Families,
We are writing to inform you of a serious matter involving a former substitute teacher who previously worked in our district.
On July 9, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office announced that this individual has been charged with multiple offenses
related to a lewdness investigation.
This individual worked as a substitute teacher in our schools from spring 2022 through June 2024.
They have not been employed in the district or present in our schools during the 2024–25 school year.
The charges filed are considered disqualifying offenses under state regulations. As a result, the individual is barred from working
in any school setting, being on school grounds, or interacting with students in any capacity.
We understand that such news may raise concerns about student safety. Please know that our students’ well-being remains our
top priority. If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to us directly by contacting our Public Information
Officer, Christine Corliss. Anyone with relevant information related to criminal behavior is also urged to contact the Bergen County
Prosecutor’s Office.
For families who wish to speak with their children about this matter, we recommend emphasizing the importance of reporting any
interaction that feels uncomfortable or inappropriate. Our school counselors and support staff are available should any student
need support. Please contact your child’s school principal or counselor if assistance is needed.
Sincerely,
Mark Schwarz
Superintendent
Ongoing Investigation & Community Response
The investigation began when Fair Lawn Police contacted the prosecutor’s office on Tuesday, July 8, to report a lewd incident at the middle school. Authorities confirmed that Stewart, who was no longer employed by the district, gained access to the school at different times to carry out the alleged offenses.
“It should be noted that the sexual assault by sexual contact and aggravated criminal sexual contact charges, among others, relate to the act of masturbation by the defendant,” prosecutors emphasized in the official statement.
Stewart is currently being held at the Bergen County Jail, awaiting a first court appearance in Hackensack.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is asking anyone with information to call their Tips Line at (201) 226-5532.
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Dr. Schwarz’s letter does not include the most critical information for parents. Which is, the schools in Ridgewood the individual taught at, the grades in Ridgewood the individual taught, and the dates on which he taught. Can we have that information please Dr. Schwarz?
gee, i dunno maybe ask Schwarz instead of the blog?
Do you have his number?
Do the school systems do background checks prior to hiring these individuals? Seems like he has pretty long list of offenses but yet was able to work in a school around children.
“Dr. Schwarz’s letter does not include the most critical information for parents. Which is, the schools in Ridgewood the individual taught at, the grades in Ridgewood the individual taught, and the dates on which he taught. Can we have that information please Dr. Schwarz?”
Superintendents are paid by the word.
Clearly, some words require more pay than others.
Can we comb our hair B4 the perp walk?
I mean really…
Dr. Schwartz has this great skill of downplaying most matters of importance as if someone just spilled a cup of tea. This is serious. Maybe that is what he is supposed to do, but it sounds like “Hey no big deal” heck yeah it is a big deal. We had the guy at the Library who stole money from old people, a guy working for the village who barely got a hand tap for stealing hundreds of thousands from the parking meters and plenty of other pretty serious things, and last but most importantly please don’t forget the parking authority pedophile. What is going on here? The Ridgewood Manager, Kazmark and school Superintendent Schwartz need to get their act together.
Why doesn’t this village conduct background investigations where people have access to residents and money.
Puppet Kazmark , down plays everything!
Substitute teachers are background checked under NJ state law. The crime occured after he was hired by Ridgewood, not before.
Looks like a typical NEA member