WOODBURY, N.J. (Court TV) — A former middle school teacher accused of sexually assaulting one of her students will remain behind bars after a judge denied her bond.
Ashley Fisler puts her head in her hands as she’s denied bond on April 2, 2026. (Court TV)
Ashley Fisler, 36, faces six charges of aggravated assault, official misconduct and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by sexual contact and has pleaded not guilty.
Fisler had asked to be released on bond, citing her longstanding ties to the community and lack of criminal record. But Judge William Ziegler ruled Thursday that “there are no conditions which will allow for the defendant’s pretrial release in order to protect the public generally.”
At a hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors laid out some of the evidence against Fisler, which includes approximately 7,500 pages of text messages between the defendant and the alleged victim. Investigators say the victim was a student in Fisler’s class at Orchard Valley Middle School in 2021 when the two had sexual contact six times — two of which occurred in the classroom.
“The defendant has allegedly admitted in writing by text message her sexual involvement with the victim and the various acts between them have been confirmed by her own admissions in writing,” Ziegler said in his decision. “The state has a seemingly strong case where the testimony and/or statements of the victim are lined up with and confirmed by the content of the text messages between himself and the defendant.”
Ziegler noted that this is not a case where the charges carry a mandatory life sentence, but expressed his concern about the potential for witness tampering if the defendant were to be released. “A person who has maintained and allegedly groomed a boy over a period of at least five years could have a substantial influence over him if perhaps she were to communicate with him, primarily about the severity of the charges and the potential punishment,” Ziegler said. Each aggravated assault charge carries a potential penalty of 20 years; second-degree charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years each.
While Fisler’s attorney, Rocco Cipparone, pointed to his client’s ties to the community as a mitigator, Ziegler wasn’t swayed. “The defendant has the ability to cover her tracks and has done so for a period of five years,” Ziegler said.
Fisler has the right to appeal the detention decision within seven days. She is due to return to court for a pre-indictment conference on May 14.
