Latest news with #ImmaculataUniversity
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Who is Michelle Mercogliano? High School teacher faces 63 charges for allegedly having sex with student
Michelle Mercogliano, a 35-year-old teacher from Chester County, is in custody for allegedy having sex with a 16-year-old student. On Wednesday, authorities charged the Conestoga High School special education teacher with 63 criminal counts, including institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors, and illegal drug distribution. The investigation began on Monday after the juvenile student's family reached out to law enforcement. The teen alleged that he and Mercogliano had sex approximately 12 times since February, with many of those allegedly taking place at Mercogliano's parents' home in Malvern, per Tredyffrin Township police report. ALSO READ| Mark Zuckerberg, wife's free school to shut down after 10 years: 'Doesn't want to give money' The criminal complaint also claims Mercogliano provided the student with medical marijuana, purchasing it for him roughly 15 times from a Phoenixville dispensary and the two used Snapchat to stay in touch in secret. The school district detailed Mercogliano is listed as an academic support teacher for grades 9 through 12 and also works as an adjunct professor at Immaculata University, where she teaches Italian. She had joined the Conestoga High School staff in the fall of 2024. Prior to that, she worked at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024 and served as a paraprofessional at both Hillside and Valley Forge Elementary Schools between 2014 and 2018. The Tredyffrin Easttown School District has placed Mercogliano on leave. Superintendent Dr. Richard Gusick assured, 'We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students. However, if you have details you believe are relevant to this investigation, please contact Tredyffrin Township Police at 610-644-3221.' 'We are deeply troubled by these allegations. The District remains committed to providing a safe and supportive school environment for all students. We encourage you to contact your child's Principal if any child needs support.' ALSO READ| Who is Emanuel Charles? 21-year-old gunman arrested in shooting of Times Square food vendor Mercogliano has not yet been taken into custody, but the Chester County District Attorney's Office said she is cooperating with investigators and is expected to turn herself in alongside her attorney. 'Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers. The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust. It will not be tolerated,' said Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe, per 6abc Philadelphia.
International Business Times
01-05-2025
- International Business Times
Female Pennsylvania Teacher Charged with Engaging in Sexual Intercourse with Student 12 Times
A Pennsylvania teacher is facing 63 charges for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student. Michelle Mercogliano, 35, a special education teacher at Conestoga High School, was charged Wednesday by the Tredyffrin Township police. Mecogliano's charges stem from an investigation that began on Monday when police received a report from a male teenage student's family members. Mercogliano and the Student Had Sex About 12 Times at Her Parents' House, Bought Him Medical Marijuana According to a criminal complaint obtained by WPVI, the student says they had sex about 12 times since February. The sexual encounters allegedly took place at Mercogliano's parents' house in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Court documents also say she purchased medical marijuana for the student about 15 times. An online post from the school district shows Mercogliano is an academic support teacher for ninth through 12th grade, and also works as an adjunct professor at Immaculata University, teaching Italian. She is facing a long list of charges, including school - intercourse/sexual contact with student, unlawful contact with minor - sexual offenses and other offenses. According to police sources, she is not yet in custody. The Chester County DA's Office says Mercogliano is being cooperative and expected to surrender with her attorney present. "Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers. The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust. It will not be tolerated," Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement. School District Issues Statement, Says Mercogliano Placed on Leave in the Wake of the Allegations Against Her The Tredyffrin Easttown School District says Mercogliano has been placed on leave. She began teaching at Conestoga in the fall. She was also a teacher at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024 and a paraprofessional at Hillside Elementary and Valley Forge Elementary Schools from 2014 to 2018, according to the district. "We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students. However, if you have details you believe are relevant to this investigation, please contact Tredyffrin Township Police at 610-644-3221," Superintendent of Schools Richard Gusick said in a statement.
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Legendary Mighty Macs player remembers winning national titles for Immaculata: "We should've never won"
A big piece of March Madness history traces back to a college team in Chester County, Pennsylvania. On Thursday, Theresa Shank Grentz was back on the court. "G-Ma," as her grandkids call her, shows she's still got it when she shoots from the free throw line. "When we played, we had an expression: 'To play the game is great, to win the game is greater, to love the game is greatest,'" she said. The love for basketball grew at Immaculata University. The winning and playing parts did, too. "They'll bury us with this story," Grentz said with a laugh, her grandson, Liam, smiling beside her. That story started over 50 years ago. "It's a story that we should've never won. This should've never happened. This is divine providence. The older I get, the more I believe it," she said. No. 12 remembers it well: March of 1972. The Immaculata University women's basketball team was bound for the tournament in Illinois. "We didn't have any money. There was no budget for post-season tournament," Grentz said. The team sold toothbrushes to fund their trip, which proved to be worthwhile . The underdogs won the entire thing, beating West Chester and cementing themselves in the history books as the first women's college basketball national champions. "There was this crowd of people waiting for us. I'll never forget that. When I got off that plane after winning that national championship, my life changed," Grentz said. The story for this team did not stop there. A second title came in 1973, and a third in 1974. She remembers telling her teammates early on — many she knew from the Philadelphia Catholic League — this was their destiny. "I said to them, listen, we're going to play four years together, we're not losing any games, and they were like OK, sounds good to us! We lost two. And I'm still ticked," Grentz said. Great Valley will always be home for the soon-to-be 73-year-old famed player, coach and hall of famer . She says she still keeps up with the tournament. "I do watch it. I watch it and I never put the brackets though," she said. On the rise in popularity of women's basketball recently, she said it's players like Caitlin Clark who change the game. "What's amazing to me now is her star power," Grentz said. "I was down last winter, playing golf in North Carolina, and here were these four gentlemen, they had just finished their round, having lunch and they're talking about Caitlin Clark and women's basketball, and I'm thinking, 'That doesn't happen!'" Back at Immaculata, current players say the "Mighty Macs" are an inspiration. "We all think of the legacy of the national championships in the 1970s. There's something we all think about every time we step on the court," Reese Mullins, a senior on the team, said. The story of the Mighty Macs is one Grentz is proud to have helped write. "We've lost a few, but we are so connected and so tied in," she said. "It's unbelievable and it continues. It's never stopped."
