Hammer-Wielding Ex-Bio Teacher In Bergen County Loses License After Assaults: Officials

A former biology teacher in Bergen County had his teaching license revoked after an incident in which he purposely backed his car into another vehicle and then used a hammer to assault the victim, state officials said.

The State Board of Examiners reviewed the information regarding Christopher R. Icochea from the Office of Student Protection (OSP) in September 2023, they said.

The incident appears to have happened two years after Icochea resigned from his position as a biology teacher at Tenafly High School, district paperwork shows.

In June 2023, Ocochea pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was subsequently sentenced to three years of non-custodial probation, jail time credit of 10 days, substance abuse and psychological evaluation, and order of no contact with victims.

OSP notified the Board that as a result of his conviction, Icochea became disqualified from public school employment.

"After reviewing the admitted allegations, the Board found that Icochea had engaged in unbecoming conduct," the Board said. "An educator is a role model to students and should not be committing the crime of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon... resulting in disqualification from public school employment.

"Moreover, Icochea’s actions in using a hammer to hit another individual causing physical injury clearly demonstrates conduct that is unacceptable for a role model and violates the implicit standard of good behavior expected of a public school teacher."

On May 23, 2024, the Board voted to revoke Icochea's Teacher of Biological Science Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing and standard Teacher of Biological Science certificate.

On June 27, Icochea's certificates were officially revoked.