New Jersey's State Board of Examiners has taken action resulting in the loss of the teaching certifications of two former public school educators, Jeffrey Munguia and Paul Yang, after separate criminal cases accusing each man of sexually assaulting a student. The two cases, unfolding in Middlesex and Passaic Counties, were unrelated, with Munguia's certification-related action occurring in May or June 2026 and Yang's sentencing on August 21, 2026, roughly two to three months apart.
Munguia, who lived in North Bergen and taught English at Carteret Middle School, was arrested in 2024 after a former student came forward to police, according to New Jersey 101.5. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and Carteret Police launched their investigation on April 24, 2024, after the student reported explicit sexual contact dating back to the 2022 school year, per RLS Media. Munguia was charged with second-degree sexual assault and second-degree child endangerment, and he was no longer employed by the district by the time of his arrest.
Munguia's Pretrial Intervention and Certification Action
Rather than face trial, Munguia was accepted into Pretrial Intervention in May 2026. The New Jersey State Board of Examiners voted on June 25, 2026, that Munguia had to give up his English teaching certification, according to research citing MyCentralJersey reporting.
Munguia's educator certificate was addressed in the State Board's action, and he had been accepted into Pretrial Intervention.
A Paterson Classroom and a 9-Year-Old Victim
The second case centers on Paul Yang, who lived in Leonia and taught fourth-grade science at Paterson Public School No. 25. Yang was accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old female student inside his classroom in December 2025. According to court records cited by Us Weekly, a second student was in the room at the time, taking an exam behind testing barriers Yang had set up at the front of the classroom, while Yang allegedly moved the 9-year-old to the rear of the room.
The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit opened its investigation into Yang on October 22, 2025, after receiving an initial notice, the outlet's report noted. The report also discussed institutional child-abuse reporting in New Jersey, according to Patch. Yang had worked at the school since 2021 and was formally terminated by the Paterson district on December 3, 2025, the same day he was arrested.
Guilty Plea, Probation, and a Second Revocation
Yang was originally charged with second-degree sexual assault and second-degree child endangerment. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser fourth-degree charge in June 2026 and was sentenced to two years of probation on August 21. The State Board of Examiners officially revoked his elementary school teaching certifications on August 7, 2026, according to New Jersey 101.5.
State examiners reviewed both cases over the summer. Under N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.4, the board holds authority to suspend or revoke certificates for conduct unbecoming a teacher or offenses tied to statutory forfeiture provisions, according to Cornell Law School's regulatory database. Separately, New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2 mandates that any public employee convicted of a crime touching their public office, or of a third-degree offense or higher, forfeits their position and is permanently barred from future public employment in the state.
According to the New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner's annual report, school districts and charter schools report incidents involving violence, vandalism, weapons and substance abuse offenses to the Legislature. The New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect provides guidance on educators' responsibilities for recognizing and reporting child maltreatment, including student sexual misconduct.
Separately, according to a May 4, 2007 New Jersey State Board of Examiners decision, a separate case against Mujica originated on November 21, 2001, when the Paterson Board of Education certified tenure charges against him. A New Jersey State Board of Examiners decision records that Carter was dismissed from his tenured employment with Paterson after unbecoming conduct was proven in a tenure proceeding and before an arbitrator.
It remains unclear whether either school district faced civil liability claims or administrative reviews of classroom oversight practices following the arrests, a question that has not been publicly addressed by either the Carteret or Paterson districts.
