New Jersey school custodian pleads guilty to contaminating food with bodily fluids and cleaner

A New Jersey officials say a man working as a school custodian pleaded guilty to charges he put bodily fluids and cleaning products in food meant for children and staff to eat as well as putting cooking utensils on his genitals

ByThe Associated Press
January 15, 2025, 12:28 PM

TRENTON, N.J. -- A New Jersey man working as a school custodian pleaded guilty to charges that he put bodily fluids and cleaning products in food meant for children and staff to eat as well as putting cooking utensils on his genitals, authorities said Tuesday.

Giovanni Impellizzeri, 27, of Vineland, New Jersey, was working as a custodian for the Upper Deerfield Township School District in 2023 when authorities became aware of videos that he recorded himself contaminating the food and utensils, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said. He then shared the videos online, officials said.

He pleaded guilty to an official misconduct charge on Monday as well as to a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material. Authorities said they discovered the material as they were investigating the videos.

A message seeking comment on behalf of Impellizzeri was left with his attorney on Wednesday.

When county health officials first became aware of the allegations in 2023, they said the fluids were unlikely to cause health problems, though it's unclear how they determined that.

An attorney representing some of the school district's families told WPVI they were considering a lawsuit against school officials.