Stamford HS Administrators Plead Not Guilty

The two Stamford High School administrators accused of failing to report suspicions that a teacher was having an affair with a student pleaded not guilty in state Superior Court Wednesday.

Principal Donna Valentine, 62, and Assistant Principal Roth Nordin, 59, made brief appearances with their attorneys before Judge Erika Tindill, according to reports. The administrators were arrested by Stamford Police on Oct. 2 on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse. The arrests came after police determined the women had been told several times since January that there was an apparent relationship between former English teacher Danielle Watkins and a student who was 17 at the time. State law requires school administrators to contact police whenever there are suspicions of student abuse.

Police became aware of the relationship after the student, who had since turned 18, told investigators in June that Watkins threatened to fail him if he broke off the relationship that continued throughout the school year. The student told police that he had numerous sexual liaisons with Watkins in her car — off campus — during school hours. He also told police that the 32-year-old teacher also supplied him and another underage student with marijuana that they smoked both on and off campus.

Watkins, of Norwalk, was arrested July 17 and then sought medical treatment. She finally appeared in court on Sept. 22 and pleaded not guilty to two counts each of second-degree sexual assault and sale of marijuana. She remains free on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Oct. 17 in state Superior Court in Stamford.

According to the Connecticut Post, the case against Valentine and Nordin was transferred to the court’s Part A section where more serious crimes are prosecuted. The paper also reported that Senior State’s Attorney David Cohen will be prosecuting the case.

The administrators, who remain free on a promise to appear in court, are scheduled to return to court Oct. 21.

The Connecticut Post story can be found here.

Have a news tip? Email barbara.heins@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.

Photo: Donna Valentine, left; Roth Nordin. Photos from Stamford Public Schools website.