By Diane Prokop
Times Staff Writer
The 17-year-old St. Hubert High School senior held a court microphone as she began testifying before Family Court Judge Ricardo C. Jackson last week about her sexual relationship with former school staffer Scott Healey.
Healey, 27, a former director of institutional advancement at the Holmesburg school from October 2005 to August 2007, surrendered to police on March 3 and was charged with corrupting the morals of a minor and endangering the welfare of a child.
At the conclusion of a March 12 hearing, the judge held Healey for trial on the charges.
During the court session, the student, whose identity is being withheld, spoke into the microphone while answering the questions of Assistant District Attorney Catherine Thurston.
The girl told the judge that she first met Healey in October 2005 through student activities at the all-girls school.
But that school relationship changed in January 2007, according to the student, when Healey sent her a text message asking if she had a crush on him.
The student testified that she gave a "sort of" reply.
She said Healey told her that she "made him smile from now until 2008." She believes he was referring to the fact that she’d turn 18 this year.
The first physical contact between Healey and the student occurred after a school event one night in January 2007, when the two were alone in Healey’s office in the school’s alumnae house.
The physical relationship was consensual and continued through last June.
Healey took a job as director of institutional advancement at Northeast Catholic High School, his alma mater, in September.
He was placed on leave after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia received a complaint in early February from the girl and her family, and was subsequently fired on March 3, when he surrendered to police after an investigation by the special victims unit.
The St. Hubert student had told a friend about the physical relationship on Feb. 5, two days after a school retreat. On Feb. 8, she then reported it to police and school administrators, turning over letters and more than 10 text messages to police investigators.
During cross-examination, Healey’s defense attorney, Fortunato Perri, asked the girl what prompted her to say something. The student testified that, while at the retreat, she had received two letters from Healey, who was not part of the outing, and realized it was wrong and wanted to tell somebody.
Perri asked if the fact that Healey now has a girlfriend influenced her decision. The girl said no, contending that she didn’t know about the girlfriend at the time she told her friend of the relationship.
The student also testified that while Healey never threatened her, he did tell her to keep quiet about the relationship.
"He told me I shouldn’t tell anybody because he wasn’t going to make it in jail," the girl testified.
Healey, who lives in Northern Liberties, had a group of supporters with him, but only his parents were permitted in the courtroom. He left the courthouse hand-in-hand with a woman.
On April 2, Healey will be formally arraigned on the charges at the Criminal Justice Center. ••
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com