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Hi - I'm Guy. I am an attorney that practices in PA, and NY. I am a former sex crimes prosecutor and my day-to-day cases are almost exclusively helping survivors of sexual abuse get justice. My team and I are ready to help.
Were you or a loved one abused by Isaias Garza, a veteran school teacher at Bridgeton Public Schools’ ExCEL School? Our experienced sexual abuse attorneys are here to help.
Isaias Garza has been accused of sexually abusing two young boys between 2004 and 2008, but legal experts believe that other survivors may have yet to step forward.
Sexual abuse can raise a powerful and painful storm of emotions. Anger, grief, shock, despair, shame and embarrassment – these are natural reactions to a terrible trauma. You are not alone. Help is available. Please know that this was not your fault. You did nothing wrong.
Our compassionate legal team has helped countless sexual abuse survivors step forward and pursue justice with confidence. If you or a loved one were abused by Isaias Garza, our dedicated lawyers are here to walk you through your legal options.
Some abuse survivors may be eligible to secure significant financial compensation by pursuing a civil lawsuit. While criminal charges have now been filed against Garza, our attorneys believe that pursuing civil action can help survivors take important steps toward recovery. You can take control of this situation by taking action.
Learn more in a free, confidential consultation. You have powerful legal rights. Our NJ sexual abuse law firm can help you understand your options at no charge and no obligation. To find more information, contact our New Jersey sexual assault lawyers for a free consultation today.
A Bridgeton, New Jersey middle school teacher has been arrested and charged for sexually assaulting two students. Longtime teacher Isaias Garza, 50, is facing charges of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault for allegedly abusing two boys between 2004 and 2008. Police say the victims were both younger than 13 at the time.
Garza is the head teacher at Bridgeton Public Schools’ ExCEL program, short for “Extra commitment enhances learning,” which features a 6-day school week, mandatory uniforms and is open to the top 51 students in Bridgeton Public Schools’ fifth-grade class. Isaias Garza started at the program in 2001, eventually becoming its head teacher in 2005.
But police authorities say the veteran teacher abused two students over a decade ago, forcing the children to perform sex acts on him in a school building, at Garza’s Vineland home and at one of the victim’s homes. Authorities say the assaults occurred on “numerous occasions” between 2004 and 2008, according to NJ.com, while the boys were between 13 and 16.
Garza has also been charged with one count of witness tampering. Officials say the teacher contacted one of his victims, now an adult, on multiple occasions and asked the person not to speak with the police. Garza apparently offered the alleged assault survivor a sum of money to keep quiet after he learned that his alleged misconduct was being investigated. The victim reportedly shared an audio recording of one of these conversations with authorities.
Garza is now charged with multiple counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault. He also faces one count of second-degree official misconduct and the aforementioned charge of witness tampering. In all, Garza faces 13 criminal charges.
Bridgeton School District Superintendent Dr. Thomasina Jones says the school district first learned of the allegations against Garza when the district attorney’s office contacted school officials on September 24, 2018. Mr. Garza was suspended from his position at the school and prohibited from coming onto school property the next day.
As a teacher with tenure, Garza has been suspended with pay. His salary is currently $98,738.
For related cases, see: Former Deptford High School Track Coach William Corsey III Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse In New Jersey
Garza was being held in the Cumberland County Jail prior to a pre-trial detention hearing, at which the man on October 17 acknowledged that he understood the charges against him. Garza’s attorney, Kevin McCann, excoriated prosecutor’s for “withholding” reports. Meanwhile, prosecutors asked for a delay in court hearings, saying Garza was a risk to the community and could try to obstruct the police’s investigation. McCann told the court that he is certain “the two alleged victims will totally recant the story.”
The veteran educator was released from police custody on October 22. He has been barred from maintaining contact with either of the victims, who are brothers, including going to a restaurant where one of the men works. Prosecutors say that Garza and his wife already frequent the restaurant in question. Garza has been ordered to surrender his passport. He will have to report to the court on a weekly basis.
