Germantown teacher bound over for trial Allegedly kissed 2 students in school By MITCH MAERSCH - GM Today Staff June 16, 2005 A Germantown High School teacher was bound over for trial Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court, accused of kissing two students during school. James E. Catalano, 34, faces up to 37 years in prison, if convicted. He is charged with two counts sexual assault of a student by school staff and one count of child enticement. Arraignment is set for July 25 at 10 a.m. Before the hearing started, someone said something to Catalano’s wife, Jennifer, also a teacher at the school. "Don’t talk to my wife like that," he said with a mean look. His attorney, Martin Kohler, instantly moved in front of James Catalano and calmed him down. The person who made the comment had walked out of court. Two Germantown High School juniors are the alleged victims. Both, now 17, were 16 when the incidents occurred and each testified Wednesday. Washington County District Attorney Todd Martens recused himself and his office from the case because he has a student in the Germantown School District. Paul Tiffin, an assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County, is prosecuting the case. Sometime during the fall semester, according to the criminal complaint, Catalano told a 16-year-old girl to go into his office and get a school telephone directory sheet. Catalano followed her into the office, closed the door behind him. She was looking at photos of Catalano’s daughter and told him the girl was cute, she said. Catalano grabbed her shoulders, turned her to face him and "we started to make out," the student testified. She pulled away, told him he was married and asked what he was doing, she said. He didn’t say anything and started to kiss her again, and took her hand and put it on his butt, and said, "you know you like that," she said. "I was just awed by the situation," she said. Another incident allegedly occurred the week before Christmas break. The other student worked for Catalano as a student assistant. On one morning she was entering grades into a computer and he came into his office and shut and locked the door, she said. He held her shoulders with his hands, pushed her up into cabinets and "He proceeded to start to make out with me," she said. He tried to put his tongue in her mouth, she said. She backed her head away in shock. "He’s my teacher," she said. Then Catalano rubbed himself up against her, including rubbing his penis against her stomach, and asked her if she felt that. He then felt himself, she said. After that, he lifted up her shirt and tried to put his hand up her shirt. She backed away and pushed his hand away, she said. Kohler asked the girl if she and Catalano ever had a dispute about her abusing privileges and calling her boyfriend. She said no. He asked her if she ever read his personal e-mails and she said no, not ever. After the hearing, Kohler said he wasn’t surprised by anything he heard. "There are so many things here we’re not going to get into and discuss today," he said. Catalano is out on a $15,000 signature bond. http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2005/June_05/06162005_01asp |