Cape may teacher arrested for assaulting 4-year-old student with disability

DENNIS TOWNSHIP, NJ – A Cape May County teacher has been charged for assault of a four-year-old student with a learning disability at the Dennis Township’s Primary School in March.

On May 11th, State Police arrested Dawn Stadler over an altercation that happened after the student hit the teacher. She is now facing charges and the 30 year classroom veteran was suspended following the arrest.

Dennis Township Superintendent Susan Speirs released the following statement:

Although the school year is over, it is important to provide you with information regarding an alleged incident that took place in our school district. Prior to the end of the school year, the district received information about an allegation of inappropriate conduct by one of our teachers toward a student at the Primary School.

The district took these allegations very seriously, immediately suspended the employee, contacted the appropriate authorities and notified the parents of students in the class. Upon suspension, the employee no longer has contact with students. The district has been working cooperatively with the New Jersey State Police and the County Prosecutor’s Office during the investigation. We received notice from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office that employee Dawn Stadler has been charged with simple assault regarding this alleged incident, such charges are a matter of public record.

While these are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Dennis Township School District takes these types of unusual incidents very seriously. The district does not condone any type of improper conduct from our staff members toward our children.

As always, our focus is on ensuring the health, safety and welfare of your children in our school district. We continue to work in full cooperation with the authorities to preserve and protect the rights of all involved and at this time we cannot discuss this matter in any further detail. Keeping in mind the district’s ability to comment on this pending matter is limited, if you have any questions please call my office. The staff in Dennis Township School District is professional and dedicated. I can assure you, these types of allegations are extremely rare. By working together, you as families and we as a school district can help our school community through this difficult situation.

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