Former Columbia High School 10th grade teacher Nicole Dufault was indicted today by an Essex County Grand Jury on 40 counts of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child for engaging in sex acts with six male victims.
Dufault, age 35, was arrested on September 17, 2014 at her Caldwell home and charged with engaging in sex acts with five male students. A sixth victim was identified later. The boys, all students at Columbia High School, were between 14 and 15 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.
The indictment accuses Dufault of engaging in sexual activity with all six boys on multiple occasions between 2013 and 2014, according to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Gina Iosim, who is handling the case. Some of the sex acts allegedly occurred on school property and in her car.
Prior to her arrest, Dufault worked as a language arts teacher at Columbia High School for nine years. According to a release from Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, she is a divorced mother of two young sons, is originally from Bloomfield, and — prior to coming to Columbia High School — taught at several other public schools in Passaic and Bergen counties.
Following Dufault’s arrest, South Orange-Maplewood School District Acting Superintendent Jim Memoli and Columbia High School Principal Elizabeth Aaron worked to assure the CHS community that the district was cooperating with authorities and providing counseling. Aaron also directly addressed the arrest in a well-received speech at CHS back to school night.
The Prosecutor’s Officer reported that Dufault remains free on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 6.
