Reason for former James H. Vernon School principal Jessica Bader’s departure revealed

The sudden departure of Jessica Bader, the new principal of James H. Vernon School, after only a couple of weeks of school led to much chatter on Facebook from residents living in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District last September and October. Some speculated it was due to the discovery that Bader had dated an East Meadow High School student while working there as a teacher. But no one was able to receive confirmation or additional information from anyone at Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District.

The reasons for Bader’s departure were revealed by News 12 on Friday.

Their investigation indicates that according to the New York State Education Department, Bader did lose her teaching certificate due to an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old student at EMHS from 2004 to 2005. The student’s mother shared emails with the district. Additionally, the education department found evidence of cellphone conversations between the student and Bader.

But she never faced criminal charges because the student was not a minor and the relationship was consensual. Bader did however lose her teaching license in 2007 for four years.

When she applied for a job at Oyster Bay-East Norwich, she did not list working for the East Meadow School District and wrote on her job application that she had never had her professional certificate suspended.