Crime & Safety
Former Maplewood Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex Charges
Nicole Dufault, 40, was previously accused of having sex with male students, sometimes on school grounds.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A former Columbia High School foreign language teacher has pleaded guilty on Thursday to three counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact, after previously having been accused of engaging in sexual activity with six boys in 2013 and 2014.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said that Nicole Dufault, 40, entered a guilty plea as jury selection was underway.
Dufault worked at Columbia High School in Maplewood for nine years, and also has taught at public schools in Passaic and Bergen counties, prosecutors said.
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During that time, rumors arose of her sexual conduct with students, even some speaking of a video.
In 2015, according to NJ.com, Dufault said a brain condition affected her judgment. Her lawyer said she "suffers from frontal lobe syndrome which has rendered her defenseless to over-aggressive behavior… and that is exactly what she was exposed to." Those involved with the case also cited a difficult marital situation.
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She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8.
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