Adrian McConney was charged in 2013 with official misconduct after an investigation into the then-36-year-old actions by the school and police.
PISCATAWAY -- A former teacher and girls' soccer coach was found not guilty Tuesday on a charge stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with an 18-year-old high school student, according to his attorney.
Piscataway High School Adrian McConney was charged in 2013 with official misconduct after an investigation by the school and police into the then-36-year-old's actions .
In 2014, Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz dismissed McConney's indictment, ruling the relationship didn't break any laws since the girl was 18. The state appellate court overturned the ruling the next year after the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office appealed.
"I'm shocked and disappointed," Piscataway School District Superintendent Teresa Rafferty said over the phone following the verdict in Middlesex County Superior Court. "I think the relationship between the teacher and a student, no matter the age, is one that cannot be tampered with. It should always be professional not a personal one."
Officials said in the charges that the student was under the gym teacher's supervision in his classroom but wouldn't confirm whether or not the teen was on the soccer team.
"The government tried to fight this battle as if it was outside the realm of the constitution," McConney's Fairfield-based attorney Tim Smith said in a statement. "The jury got it. Good for them, and good for Adrian McConney."
The prosecutor's office did not immediately respond for comment.
Smith said he didn't know what McConney's plans were following the verdict.
McConney had his teaching certificate revoked by the state Board of Examiners in June 2016. He resigned from the Piscataway School District in April of 2014.
Smith also represented Mendham High School teacher Nicole McDonough, who admitted to having sex with her 18-year-old student twice and pleaded guilty to a second-degree official misconduct charge as part of a plea deal that spares her jail time.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.