Stamford Superintendent “Disappointed,” “Outraged” Over Teacher-Student Sex Case

A Stamford teacher and two administrators are on leave after allegations that the educator had sex with a student and administrators didn't report it.

A Stamford High School English teacher is on unpaid leave after pleading guilty to having sex with a student and two administrators accused of failing to report the suspected relationship aren't returning to the school.

Stamford Superintendent Winifred Hamilton told the media that she was "disappointed" and "outraged" by the situation Monday, announcing the district is commissioning an independent investigation and working to clean up after the scandal and move on.

"As Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, I am disappointed and outraged about the situation that occurred at Stamford High School and the resulting erosion of public trust caused by the alleged actions of Stamford Public School employees," Hamilton said. "Stamford High School and our entire community have been shaken and the education process disrupted by these events."

Hamilton said that the district notified teacher, Danielle Watkins, that she is being placed on unpaid leave after her guilty plea on a felony second-degree sexual assault charge from July. District leadership also plans to notify the Commissioner of Education about the situation and request the "revocation of her teaching license," Hamilton said.

Prosecutors say Principal Donna Valentine and Assistant Principal Roth Nordin were aware of that Watkins, 32, had a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student, but didn't report it. Both were arrested in October and have since been granted accelerated rehabilitation in the case. They are both on administrative leave during the investigation.

Hamilton said that she has the authority to "involuntarily transfer administrators" and that it "is in the best interest of our community" that Principal Donna Valentine and Assistant Principal Roth Nordin don't return. However, she said that their "exact status" won't be determined until the investigation is over. 

Kathryn Emmett, the city of Stamford's director of legal affairs and corporation counsel, selected retired Judge Robert Holzberg from Pullman & Comley, LLC to lead the investigation with the assistance of attorneys Michael McKeon, Rachel Ginsberg and Steven Bonafonte from the firm's school law, employment law and white collar/investigations groups, respectively. The private firm will report to Emmett with updates.

"Once the investigation is complete, anyone who engaged in behavior that put children at risk will be dealt with accordingly," she said in a statement.

The investigators will examine the "nature and timing of the concerns that such a relationship was occurring," the level of suspicions school officials had about the relationship and whether staff, teachers, administrators, board members or Superintendent's office employees violated any state and federal laws about reporting the suspected teacher-student sexual relationship, Emmett said in a statement.

The investigation will likely take 60 to 75 days to complete and the report with the findings will be made available to the public, she said.

Stamford Mayor David Martin (D) said that the investigation is imperative in determining the facts and setting the truth apart from rumors and allegations.

Meanwhile, Stamford Board of Education  President Jackie Heftman said the board has "confidence" in Hamilton's "ability to guide the district through this difficult period" and that the board shares her same "outrage." The board will keep the public updated on any developments in the investigation, but no further information is available, she said.

"The findings of the independent investigation will give the superintendent the facts and information she needs to take immediate and appropriate action," Heftman said. " The anonymous whisperings of people in the shadows do not serve to advance our quest for the truth. The scope and transparency of the investigation should fulfill the desire that we all have to learn the truth."

Heftman turned the focus back to the students and said "the safety, well-being and education of our students" is a priority for the board.

"Let's not forget about the impact this is having on the students at Stamford High School," she said. "There was a heart wrenching letter to the editor in yesterday's newspaper bringing to light the lack of public support for the yearbook," Heftman said. "Step up and express your support for the students and educators by buying an ad."

Administrator Angela Thomas Graves was also placed on paid administrative leave due to a personnel matter, but the district has not disclosed the reasoning. She is not under investigation in the independent investigation at this time and it's unclear if her leave status is related. Police said she hasn't been charged with anything.

The alleged victim in the case is scheduled to return to the police department on Tuesday to iron out case details with detectives.

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