A special education teacher in New Jersey has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing a student, authorities said.
Allison Haveman Niedlach, 43, a special needs teacher at Freehold Middle School, was charged with first-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. said on Saturday.
The woman, who lives in Jackson, was arrested earlier this week after an investigation by the MCPO Special Victims Unit and Freehold Police Department revealed that Haveman Niedlach allegedly began sexually abusing the student earlier this year, Santiago said.
Prosecutors did not say how many times Haveman-Niedlach assaulted the student or how authorities learned of the abuse. The ages of the student, who attends Freehold Middle School in grades six through eight, were also not known.
Haveman Niedlach has worked for the Freehold Borough School District since 2022. According to her LinkedIn page:She describes herself as a “passionate, results-driven, and conscientious educator.”
Freehold Borough School District Superintendent Asia Michael sent an email to staff and parents Friday night informing them of the arrest of a “former staff member.” According to the Asbury Park Press.
“We are sorry to have to deliver this disappointing news, but please bear with us,” the email began.
“We have been informed that a former employee has been arrested on suspicion of third-degree sexual assault and inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor,” it continued.
Haveman Niedlach is currently being held in the Monmouth County Jail, awaiting his initial court appearance and a hearing to determine whether he will remain in custody while awaiting trial, authorities said.
Her lawyer, Thomas Foote, told APP that Havemann-Niedlach “pleads not guilty at this time.”
