By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Monmouth County announced that a local teacher has been sentenced to 5½ years in state prison for engaging in an explicit relationship with a student at his school.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago stated that under the terms set down by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn during a hearing held Friday, 36-year-old Justin McGhee of Ocean Township, who also served as the head girls’ basketball coach at Middletown High School North, must permanently forfeit his public employment and teacher’s license.
He must also register as an offender under Megan’s Law, be subjected to Parole Supervision for Life, refrain from any contact with the victim, and be prohibited from Middletown High School North grounds, MCPO officials say.
MCPO officials said that an investigation led by members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and the Middletown Township Police Department revealed that the alleged criminal conduct by McGhee began in late 2024.
McGhee was arrested without incident on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and then placed on administrative leave; he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree Explicit Contact in November 2025, according to Monmouth County officials. 
Monmouth County officials said that Judge Butehorn denied a defense request to sentence McGhee in the third-degree range to a reduced term of 3 years in prison, citing the seriousness of the conduct and the nature of McGhee’s employment.