Upper Merion elementary school teacher charged with indecent assault of former student
Teacher charged with indecent assault of former student in Upper Merion Township
A Gulph Elementary School teacher has been arrested, charged, and placed on leave after a former student reported to police that they had been touched inappropriately during class three years ago.
UPPER MERION, Pa. - An Upper Merion elementary school teacher has been arrested and charged with indecent assault of a minor, authorities announced Tuesday.
What we know:
Zachary Schettone, 39, was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into an incident that was reported to police in August of last year.
Schettone is a teacher at Gulph Elementary School in Upper Merion Township. The incident is alleged to have occurred three years ago, when the victim was a student of Schettone's third-grade class.
According to police, the victim reported to police that Schettone had them sit on his lap during class and allegedly touched the victim in an indecent manner at that time.
Schettone has been charged with indecent assault, indecent assault of a victim under 13, corruption of minors, and harassment by physical contact.
What they're saying:
Upper Merion Police say after they received the victim’s report, they contacted Upper Merion Area School District. Schettone was subsequently placed on leave in early August and has not been back to work during the 2025-2026 school year.
In a message sent home to parents, district officials say they have cooperated fully with police throughout the investigation.
"Police recently informed us that charges are being filed today. In response, Mr. Schettone will remain on leave pending the outcome of the legal proceedings," the letter reads. "While we must respect that under the law, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are afforded due process, please know we are taking this situation very seriously."
The district says they will be offering counseling services for families, students, and staff.
Some parents in King of Prussia expressed shock and concern about the allegations.
"It’s awful news. I cannot believe this can happen here," said Mitali Das.
Others shared support for the former student, with Laney saying, "I hope that the child gets good counseling and help and they were very brave to come forward."
Dennis Hosgood said, "It’s a hard thing to come out and do that. I mean it takes a lot of courage actually." He added, "To think that people can still get through assuming he’s guilty who knows you’re innocent till then, but to have to go through all these different hoops and still possibly have people who are doing these things is unbelievable."
The superintendent assured families, "The safety of our children and the trust you place in our staff are our highest priorities. As part of our safety protocols, all district staff hold the required, updated criminal and child abuse clearances."
The district is encouraging anyone with information about the case to contact Upper Merion Police.
Parents also discussed the importance of talking to children about appropriate and inappropriate touching. "I think it’s important that children are talk to about you know appropriate inappropriate touching things like that and it sounds like this child started to put it together," said Laney.
Das added, "This should be a lesson for all the parents to make their kids go forward and say if they do not feel appropriate, you should talk about this more." Schettone faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including indecent assault of a victim under the age of 13.
What you can do:
Upper Merion Township police have requested that anyone who may have information about the incident contact the department at 610-265-3232 and ask to speak with a detective.