Paterson teacher accused of soliciting sex from student denied unemployment benefits from separate job
By Jayed Rahman
Published: December 14, 2015
John F. Kennedy High School teacher Thomas Weir, who allegedly offered a student money for sexual acts, was denied unemployment benefits from a separate job he held while teaching at the city’s school district, according to court documents.
Weir’s claim for unemployment benefits was deemed “invalid,” according to court records, “due to his discharge for gross misconduct.” The former teacher, whose teaching license was suspended by the New Jersey Department of Education on March 12th, 2015, was working as a part-time bookkeeper for Bayville-based Stone N Counters South.
In 2009, he began working for the company which offered him a $500 per month salary. In 2013, it was discovered the former accounting teacher was paying himself $1,000 resulting in his discharge from the job, according to court documents.
“In addition to paying himself the increased salary, his actions had caused the company to overpay taxes on his behalf, which resulted in the IRS issuing Weir a refund,” read a court decision issued on December 2nd, 2015.
Weir in February of 2013 was accused of offering a male student $50 for sex over Facebook, according to law enforcement officials. He applied for unemployment benefits based on his employment with Stone N Counters South.
The state’s division of unemployment insurance on December 31st, 2013 “determined that Weir was ineligible for unemployment benefits because he was discharged for theft by deception, an act of gross misconduct connected to his work,” according to court documents. He appealed the denial over telephone before a tribunal in which he stated he had no objections introducing the criminal complaint against him into evidence, according to court records.
On March 11th, 2014 the tribunal ruled against Weir. He appealed again for yet another denial.
Weir, who is a New York state resident, filed an appeal with the New Jersey Superior Court. “On appeal, Weir argues that there was no evidence of gross misconduct, but instead just a misunderstanding regarding his salary. He also argues that evidence of the criminal complaint should not have been introduced at the hearing because it biased the hearing officer,” read the December 2nd, 2015 decision.
Weir was charged with third-degree theft by deception, according to court documents.