The recent rash of coaches in the news for alleged sexual misconduct spread to N.J. on Nov. 23 when a high school employee in Bergen County was arrested for improper acts with three students.

Besides being accused of engaging in inappropriate online exchanges with students of Bogota HS about their genitals, Michael Boris of Lodi is also being charged with having “inappropriate sexual contact” with one of the students.

Bergen County prosecutor John L. Molinelli told northjersey.com that Boris, 30, began the inappropriate conduct in 2007 and it has continued. Molinelli declined to release the ages or genders of the students, but according to CBSNews.com noted that one is a former student.

Boris, who is single, has served in a number of capacities at the school for seven years. Besides being an assistant coach of the track and cross-country teams, he was assistant band director, assistant stage crew director and assistant director of the drama club. He also worked at Ikea in Paramus.

After officials at the school learned of Boris’ alleged behavior on Nov. 16, he was suspended by the Bogota School District, Superintendent Letizia Pantoliano. The accused did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NJ.com reported that Boris was charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact. He was being held at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, with bail set at $150,000.

Pantoliano stressed that Boris was not a teacher at the school. “I’m quite pleased at the way the police handled the matter,” Pantoliano said. “It’s in their hands.”

—JOE GREENE, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM