Christine Lentz (right) is accused by the Cape May County prosecutor of illegally accessing the email of Ocean City School Superintendent Kathleen Taylor (left). The administrators are shown here in a file photo from 2014.
The Cape May County prosecutor on Wednesday announced the arrest of former Ocean City High School Vice Principal and Athletic Director Christine Lentz, 53, of Woodbine, on charges of official misconduct and computer criminal activity.
Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor alleges that Lentz accessed the Ocean City School District email of Superintendent Kathleen Taylor without authorization between April 1 and June 1.
Lentz turned herself in August 4 at the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, where she was processed and released on a summons, pending a court appearance, according to Taylor.
Lentz had a 30-year career in the district, starting in 1985 as a science teacher and girls’ basketball coach. She has been athletic director at the high school since 2008. Her annual salary was $123,197.
The prosecutor offered no motive for the alleged crime.
The Ocean City Board of Education accepted Lentz's retirement effective July 1 during a special meeting on July 9.
Official misconduct is a second-degree crime, subject to a prison term of five to 10 years. Computer criminal activity is a third-degree crime with a possible prison term of three to five years.
Taylor said a month-long investigation was led by Detective Bryan Hamilton of the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office High Tech Crime Unit.
A published telephone number for Lentz is no longer in service, and OCNJ Daily could not otherwise reach her for immediate comment.
The prosecutor said the investigation is ongoing but would not comment further on whether other individuals were involved or on potential motives.
Speculation in the community has been rampant about the alleged incident surrounding two powerful figures within the district, but neither investigators nor school district officials have provided details.
"The Ocean City Board of Education and district administration took immediate action upon learning about an alleged incident involving a former member of the high school administration," the school district said in a written statement. "We have since been working with the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ocean City Police department and special forensic investigators. Since this is an ongoing investigation, we are not at liberty to share details about the alleged incident at this time. However, our students were in no way involved or affected and immediate steps were also taken to ensure the integrity of the school district going forward. We appreciate your patience as we work closely with our external partners for a timely resolution and move forward with our 2015-2016 school plans."
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