Joel Deanley Jr.
Introduction
Joel Deanley Jr. is a former aide and multi-sport coach at Timber Creek High School in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, who was arrested on August 5, 2026 and charged with sexually assaulting a female student at the school. Deanley, 26, was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child after detectives determined he and the student engaged in illegal sexual contact between June and August 2026. Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay announced the charges the following day.
Background Information
Deanley worked at Timber Creek High School, part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District in Camden County, where he held both classroom-support and coaching roles: he was employed as an aide at the school, served as head coach for the boys and girls winter track teams, worked as an assistant football coach, and assisted with the girls spring track team. The student who reported him was a female high school student at the school.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Deanley faces criminal charges that have not been tried. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Gloucester Township police notified the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit that a female student at Timber Creek High School had reported having a sexual relationship with Deanley. Detectives with the Special Victims Unit investigated and determined that Deanley and the student engaged in illegal sexual contact between June and August 2026 — a window that fell entirely within the school’s summer break but while he held his coaching and aide positions.
Deanley was taken into custody on Wednesday, August 5 and charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was being held at the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing. Prosecutors said the student was the only victim identified in the case, but that the office would investigate any additional allegations that were reported, and they published tip lines for Detectives Todd Jarrell and Daniel Szovati along with the CAMDEN.TIPS portal.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The Black Horse Pike Regional School District said in a statement on the day the charges were announced that it was cooperating with authorities: “The employee has been immediately removed from all duties involving students and barred from all District property.” The removal covered every one of his roles at once — the aide position and all four coaching assignments.
NBC10 reported that it reached out to school district officials regarding Deanley’s arrest and was still waiting to hear back beyond the district’s statement, and the case drew regional coverage across the Philadelphia market given Timber Creek’s size and the number of teams Deanley coached. No public statement from Deanley or an attorney for him was reported in the charging announcements.
Current Status
Deanley remained in custody at the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing at the time of the charging announcements. The criminal charges — six felony counts across two statutes — had not been presented for trial, no indictment or disposition had been reported, and the Special Victims Unit kept the investigation open for further victims.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Deanley’s employment in the district ended the day the charges were announced, with the Black Horse Pike Regional School District removing him from all duties involving students and barring him from district property entirely. A 26-year-old who combined a school-aide job with four coaching posts had his access to the campus and every team severed within hours of the student’s report, and the pending second-degree sexual assault charges carry potential prison exposure measured in years if proven. His coaching career in New Jersey public schools, which spanned three seasons across track and football at a single school, is over regardless of the court outcome.