Professor engaged in 'twisted fantasy' of sex with disabled man, witness says

The brother of the alleged victim testified on Wednesday at Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield's trial on aggravated sexual assault charges

NEWARK -- After Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield in May 2011 disclosed her sexual relationship with a severely mentally disabled man, his brother said the family told her to leave them alone.

But the brother said Stubblefield repeatedly called his mother and even showed up unannounced at their home. Without the family's permission, Stubblefield also contacted the day program the disabled man was attending, the brother said.

In an effort to have Stubblefield keep her distance, the brother ultimately reported the matter to a Rutgers official and the university later contacted Essex County prosecutors.

"Go home to your family. You did us wrong. You committed a sin. You violated our trust," the brother said. "We're giving you an opportunity to go home and take care of your family, and she refused.

"We didn't want it to get to this point," the brother said, adding "we didn't want it to get to the point where we're in the courtroom and having to go through this."

The brother recounted those details on Wednesday in a Newark courtroom during Stubblefield's trial on two counts of aggravated sexual assault. She is accused of abusing the 34-year-old man, known as D.J., in her Newark office in 2011.

Stubblefield has claimed she and D.J. had fallen in love and that their relationship was consensual.

Rutgers has placed Stubblefield on administrative leave without pay.

Stubblefield met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who was taking a course of Stubblefield's and asked the professor about ways to help D.J. with his communication.

Stubblefield spent about two years working with D.J. before revealing their sexual relationship to his mother and his brother on May 28, 2011.

On the witness stand on Wednesday, D.J.'s brother said that when he learned about the relationship, he felt angry and betrayed.

"I felt duped, because she was supposed to be helping my brother learn how to talk and communicate, and she was having some sick, twisted fantasy," the brother told Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant during his testimony.

D.J., who suffers from cerebral palsy and other ailments, wears diapers and requires assistance with walking, bathing, dressing and eating, his mother has testified. Other than making noises, D.J. does not speak, his brother said.

D.J.'s mother and brother, who are his legal guardians, also have been pursuing a lawsuit against Stubblefield over the alleged abuse.

The case hinges in large part on whether D.J. consented to the sexual activity. Prosecutors argue D.J. was unable to consent, but Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, claims he consented through a controversial technique, known as "facilitated communication."

Advocates claim the method allows a disabled person to communicate by typing on a keyboard while a facilitator provides physical support. Critics argue the technique is ineffective, saying studies have shown the facilitators are controlling the users' movements.

Several scientific organizations have declared the technique is invalid.

On Wednesday, Howard Shane, a speech pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital, testified about his communication assessment of D.J., which he conducted in 2012 on behalf of the prosecutors.

Shane said D.J. can communicate physically - such as moving himself towards a refrigerator when he's hungry - and his communication depends on the interpretation of those who know him.

Anna Stubblefield, 45, a Rutgers-Newark professor of West Orange, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing a severely mentally disabled man in 2011. The trial is being heard before Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. 9/9/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray 

But D.J. has no understanding of any symbols, such as pictures and written words, Shane said.

When Shane asked D.J. to grab specific items, he wasn't able to do so, according to Shane. D.J. was not able to identify letters and he could not spell, Shane said.

Shane also indicated D.J. does not have the intellectual capacity to utilize a communication device.

"I found that he was extraordinarily communication-impaired," Shane testified.

On cross-examination, Stubblefield's attorney, James Patton, questioned Shane about D.J.'s positioning during the three-hour evaluation. Shane said D.J. was sitting in a chair and occasionally leaned against his brother for support.

Patton asked whether D.J. did not have enough support in the chair and whether any efforts were made to stabilize him. Shane said such efforts were not necessary and that D.J. was able to use his hands while sitting in the chair.

Patton also questioned Shane about whether he knew, at the time of the evaluation, that Stubblefield had written an article that was critical of a position he had taken. Shane said he wasn't sure if he was aware of the article at that time.

Shane has been a longtime critic of facilitated communication and has conducted tests that purportedly show the facilitators were controlling the users' messages. He did not address those studies during his testimony.

Patton's question referred to an article Stubblefield published in 2011 in a journal called Disability Studies Quarterly. In that article, Stubblefield mentioned Shane specifically and wrote that those who criticized facilitated communication were practicing "hate speech."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.