Middle Township district fires computer teacher after Atlantic City casino arrest

The Middle Township School District in New Jersey terminated computer teacher Amanda Crafts on October 19, two weeks after her arrest in an Atlantic City casino hotel robbery case. Crafts, 35, of Wildwood Crest, was charged alongside Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, in connection with an incident that occurred on October 9.

Police reports state that a victim met the two women at a bar within a hotel resort. After exchanging contact information with Engel, the victim proceeded to the women's hotel room. According to the affidavit, the pair stripped the victim and physically restrained him to the bed. Engel then forced sexual acts upon him before stopping to say, "That’s what you get for $1,250."

While Crafts held the victim down, Engel used the man's facial recognition to unlock his phone. She completed four separate Apple Pay transactions totaling $1,250 to her own account. A detective noted in the affidavit that the transactions were made without the victim's consent in exchange for the sexual acts.

Crafts was identified by the New Jersey Department of Corrections as a first-time offender. During a video appearance at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, she told Judge Timothy Maguire that she was a teacher with no prior arrests. She stated, "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," and noted that she is the mother of four children. She teaches in the special area department at Middle Township Middle School.

Engel, who works for SoFresh SoClean Commercial Cleaning in Ocean City, has a prior record involving prostitution-related charges. Last year, she allegedly offered an undercover state police detective sex for $1,000 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. She was released on a summons for that earlier incident.

The school district confirmed the firing in a statement released on October 19. Superintendent Stephanie DeRose said the district's responsibility is to protect students and ensure employees meet expected standards. She added that the safety and well-being of students remain the district's highest priority.

Both women were released from custody on October 15 after being held for nearly a week. The state consented to their pretrial release, requiring them to check in with the court every other week.