Latest news with #Formella
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Accused pervert teacher Christina Formella makes high school yearbook despite charges for raping teen
Accused pervert teacher Christina Formella may not work at Downers Grove South High School in suburban Chicago anymore, but she can still be seen in its latest yearbook — not once, but three times. Formella, who married her high school sweetheart in August, was arrested in March for raping a teenage student roughly 50 times. She surrendered her 'professional educator license' on June 17, according to documents obtained by The Post from the Illinois State Board of Education. 4 Christina Formella appears twice in the new yearbook. Obtained by the New York Post She's been charged with 55 crimes, including aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sex abuse and grooming. If convicted, Formella, 30, could be sentenced to 60 years. The school's recently released 2024-25 yearbook features Formella's headshot as well as group photos showing her posing with the boys' soccer team and JV girls' soccer teams she coached. 4 Formella also posed with the boys' soccer team. @hiemilynoelle/True Crime w/ Em Formella's husband has stood by her side during court appearances. Prosecutors have alleged Formella started grooming the victim when he was 14. 4 She also appeared with the JV soccer team. Obtained by the New York Post Investigators allege she raped the teen at least 45 times at the school where she was a special education teacher. 4 Formella's husband has been supporting her in court. LP Media She also raped the boy five times at her home during school hours, according to prosecutors. Formella, who denied assaulting the teen and has claimed she was being blackmailed by her accuser, insisted she was being targeted because she was 'good-looking.' The illicit relationship began in January 2023, and the boy ended it in September, prosecutors said. A school spokesperson told The Post the printing of the yearbooks began in March, prior to the arrest. 'Even so, Formella was an employee of the school district, and so is included in the yearbook,' the spokesperson said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Christina Formella case: What are the charges against former Downers Grove teacher
The former teacher of Downers Grove South High School, who is accused of sexually abusing a minor student, has been charged with 55 criminal counts. Christina Formella, 30, is accused of engaging in an extended, manipulative relationship with a student that allegedly began when the boy was just 14 years old. On Tuesday, she was arraigned in DuPage County Circuit Court on 52 additional charges, following the initial three counts she faced after her March arrest. ALSO READ| Christina Formella family: All on the ex-Downers Grove teacher's husband, Michael Formella The new charges include multiple counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child, and grooming. Prosecutors say Formella used her authority and access as a teacher to create a damaging and coercive relationship with the boy, who later came forward with his mother to report the abuse to Downers Grove police. Community High School District 99 said Formella resigned from her position at the school and voluntarily surrendered her teaching license on Monday, the day before her court appearance. Prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew told Judge Mia McPherson that the abuse lasted nearly two years and that Formella had sex with the student 'at least 45 times, including at school, during school hours and at her home.' '(Formella) knew what she was doing was wrong,' McAndrew said, adding that the former teacher 'is unbelievably conniving and unbelievably controlling.' McAndrew also told the court that Formella manipulated the boy into turning off the location tracking on his phone and made him feel guilty and ashamed about their interactions. She argued that Formella posed an ongoing threat to the victim and the community, especially since she lives near the high school. McAndrew pushed for the judge to revoke Formella's bail and detain her under Illinois' SAFE-T Act, saying, 'no conditions could mitigate the threat that Formella poses.' But Judge Mia McPherson denied that request. While she acknowledged the allegations as 'horrifying in nature,' 'shocking,' and 'appalling,' the judge concluded that the general public was not at risk and that further restrictions could be placed to protect the alleged victim. ALSO READ| Who is Christina Formella? Illinois special education teacher, 30, arrested for allegedly molesting 15-year-old student Formella is now required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender her passport, and cannot leave Illinois without the court's permission. Now, if convicted, Christina Formella faces up to 60 years in prison, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Downers Grove teacher faces additional charges related to sex abuse case
A Downers Grove South High School teacher accused of sexually abusing a student faces dozens of additional charges after authorities said the alleged abuse was more widespread than initially believed. Christina Formella, 30, now faces a total of 55 counts, including multiple counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming, which were revealed in DuPage County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Formella initially was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse after she was arrested by the Downers Grove Police Department in March. Formella was arraigned Tuesday on the 52 additional counts and entered a plea of not guilty. Prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew asked that Formella be detained under the SAFE-T Act now that additional charges have been brought against her, but that request was denied. McAndrew unsuccessfully argued that Formella posed a risk to not only the student she abused but other students, noting she lives in close proximity to the high school. According to prosecutors, Formella groomed the boy when he was 14 years old, lured him into a false sense of security, suggested they had a sexual relationship and physically, emotionally, mentally and psychologically abused the child. McAndrew told the court that Formella had sex with the boy at least 45 times, including at school, during school hours and at her home. The pattern of abuse lasted almost two years, she said. '(Formella) knew what she was doing was wrong,' McAndrew said. Formella also convinced the boy to turn off his location on his cellphone and made the boy feel guilty or shamed, McAndrew said. '(Formella) is unbelievably conniving and unbelievably controlling,' McAndrew said. McAndrew said when Formella was initially granted pre-trial release in March, it was believed that it was an isolated incident. However, investigators have since discovered 'hundreds if not thousands of text messages' that corroborate the boy's side of the story, she said. McAndrew argued before the court that no conditions could mitigate the threat that Formella poses for the community or the victim. Formella was released after her first pre-trial detention hearing in March and ordered not to have any contact with the victim or children. Her attorney, Richard Kayne, argued that Formella has complied with the conditions placed upon her in March and there are no threats to anyone in the community. He said that Formella was indicted on the additional charges May 20, but they weren't unsealed until Tuesday. If Formella were a threat, then prosecutors should have made their case sooner, he said. On Tuesday, Judge Mia McPherson called the case 'horrifying in nature,' 'shocking' and 'appalling,' but she agreed that the community at large is not threatened by Formella. She said she is concerned about the boy that Formella is accused of abusing and believed there could be additional conditions placed on Formella to ensure she has no other contact with the child. As part of the judge's orders, Formella is required to have electronic monitoring software placed on her cellphones, tablets and computers and her emails and electronic communications monitored to ensure she has no contact with the boy. Formella was also ordered to wear a GPS monitor to ensure she did not go to the victim's home, school or work, McPherson said. Formella cannot leave Illinois without court permission and must surrender her passport. She is not allowed entry to Downers Grove South High School and may not have any contact with minors. Formella faces 60 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. The boy and his mother went to the Downers Grove Police Department in March to report the inappropriate sexual conduct after the boy's mom discovered text messages on his cellphone.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
High court upholds House redistricting plan
The state's highest court rejected an appeal from critics that the Republican-led redistricting of the New Hampshire House of Representatives was so politically drawn that it should be deemed unconstitutional. In its unanimous 4-0 ruling the New Hampshire Supreme Court decided the maps for the 400 seats approved and signed into law in 2022 met the 'rational basis' test that courts hold for such legislative acts. A group of 10 residents had brought the appeal that alleged the approved map had failed to provide enough towns and city wards with their own representation. They had introduced a rival plan from a nonpartisan organization known as 'Map-A-Thon' that came up with a proposal that gave 15 more communities and city wards their own state rep compared to the House plan. The justices noted that any lawsuit against redistricting faces a high bar because it's the actions of a separate and independent branch of government. 'This means that we will not hold the redistricting statute to be unconstitutional unless a clear and substantial conflict exists between it and the Constitution,' justices wrote. 'It also means that when doubts exist as to the constitutionality of a statute, those doubts must be resolved in favor of its constitutionality.' Attorney General John Formella's legal team had countered that the redistricting plan (HB 50) was a 'political decision to be made by the Legislature based on policy considerations.' Redistricting has favored GOP State prosecutors maintained for the court to strike the plan down, justices would have to act as lawmakers and the court agreed with that logic. 'The plaintiffs have not persuaded us that the trade-offs the Legislature made in enacting RSA 662:5 (redistricting law) were unreasonable,' the justices wrote. 'Accordingly, we conclude that the plaintiffs have not met their burden of demonstrating that the Legislature had no rational or legitimate basis for enacting RSA 662:5.' Formella issued a statement praising the decision and thanking his legal team for its defense. 'Today's decision reaffirms the court's prior precedent recognizing the Legislature's broad discretion in the area of redistricting and recognizes that the Legislature must balance complex constitutional requirements when determining the most appropriate map,' Formella said. 'We are delighted that the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's finding that the Legislature acted within its constitutional authority …' In November, the high court upheld redistricting maps for the 24-person state Senate and the five-person Executive Council. Since all three maps were approved, Republicans have held onto the ruling majorities in the Legislature and on the council. In 2022, Democratic Party critics noted that their candidates for Executive Council got the most votes across the state, but they won only one of the five seats. That's because the redistricting made four of those council districts more Republican-leaning while the fifth became much more Democratic. The fifth Supreme Court justice, Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, is on administrative leave while she fights charges she illegally interfered in a criminal investigation into her husband, State Ports and Harbors Director Geno Marconi. klandrigan@
Boston Globe
30-04-2025
- Boston Globe
N.H. Cold Case Unit asks public for help in solving brutal 1995 killing of Boston man
Lei had been shot multiple times, strangled, and his throat was cut, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella, who described the slaying as 'an execution-style killing marked by both brutality and precision.' 'The evidence at the scene, including ligatures and shell casings from a single firearm, suggested this was anything but random,' Formella said in a statement. To this day, Lei's murder remains unsolved and the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit is appealing to anyone with knowledge about the murder to come forward. 'During the initial investigation, there were credible indications that people may have withheld information out of fear — fear of retaliation, fear of being associated with illegal gambling or gang activity, or fear of prosecution," Formella said in a statement Wednesday. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Others may have worried that they wouldn't be believed, or that coming forward could jeopardize their safety or reputation. To those individuals: we are asking you to come forward now—anonymously, if necessary." Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to call the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit tip line at Investigators from the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit, in partnership with the Salem Police Department and New Hampshire State Police, have been using modern forensic techniques and collaborating with law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts as they continue their probe, and they hope people will come forward with information that can help solve the case, Formella said. Advertisement 'We believe there are still people out there who know what happened to Paul, or who heard something in the aftermath that could help,' Formella said. 'If you were part of Paul's world, knew him casually, or simply heard something—no matter how minor it seemed—your voice matters. The passage of time does not erase the need for justice. Even the smallest detail could be the key to finally solving this case.' Formella emphasized that tips can be submitted anonymously. 'You do not need to reveal your identity to make a difference,' Formella said. 'Help us bring the truth to light. Help us deliver justice for Paul's family after three long decades.' #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; false;clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width: 100%;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Sign up for Cold Case Files emails: * indicates required Email Address * First Name Emily Sweeney can be reached at
