A former girls basketball coach and high school teacher was sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison for engaging in a sexual relationship with a student, the Monmouth County prosecutor said.

Justin McGhee, 36, of Ocean Township pleaded guilty in November 2025 to sexual assault.

A judge also ordered him to permanently forfeit his public employment and teaching license, register as a sex offender, submit to parole supervision for life, have no contact with the victim, and stay off the grounds of Middletown High School North, where he taught and coached, officials said.

Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn rejected a defense request for a reduced sentence, citing the seriousness of the conduct and McGhee’s position of trust.

“Those who violate that trust for their own selfish indulgences don’t just harm their victims and their families; they harm their colleagues, their school, their district, and society at large,” said Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago in a statement.

Authorities said the relationship began in late 2024. McGhee was arrested Jan. 28, 2025, and placed on administrative leave.