Stamford HS Principal, Assistant Principal Charged with Failing to Report Teacher-Student Sex Liaisons

Stamford Police have arrested Stamford High School’s principal and an assistant principal on a charge of not immediately reporting information to Stamford Police or state authorities regarding an alleged sexual relationship between one of the school’s English teachers and a student.

In an interview with WCBS Radio 880, Police Chief Jon Fontneau said state law requires notification of police and the state Department of Children & Families any information regarding a suspected relationship between an adult and a minor. “They failed to notify the Stamford Police Department and DCF. That’s where they crossed the line,” Fontneau said.

On Thursday, Principal Donna Valentine, 62, and Assistant Principal Roth Nordin, 59, each were charged with failing to report information regarding an alleged relationship between English teacher Danielle Watkins and a then 17-year-old student. Police said the charge is a misdemeanor and the two administrators were released on written promises to appear in court.

In a statement, Stamford Police said, “During the course of this investigation it appeared that several independent sources made the allegations aware to the SHS administration as early as December 2013. The administration conducted an independent investigation without notifying Department of Child and Families (DCF).”

The Stamford Police Department, working in conjunction with the States Attorney’s Office, began to investigate the failure to report allegations in August 2014. The investigation is continuing, police said.

The student told Stamford Police in June that Watkins threatened to fail him if he did not continue their sexual liaisons which occurred in her car, off campus, during the 2013-14 school year. He also reported that she supplied him and another student with marijuana which the three smoked in her car both on and off the Strawberry Hill Avenue 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.

Valentine’s attorney, Mark Sherman, told The Advocate the charge is an allegation and that she should be judged by her career in helping and educating children.

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