April 8, 2008
- (Rutland Herald)
- "Windham
sheriff suspends officer" -
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Article published Apr 8,
2008
Windham sheriff suspends officer
Second in command accused of relationship with teenage student
By
Susan Smallheer Herald Staff
NEWFANE — Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark announced Monday that he
had suspended his second in command, Capt. Heidi Nelson, and had
launched an investigation into allegations that Nelson had an improper
relationship with a 17-year-old student at Brattleboro Union High
School, where she is an instructor.
Nelson, 42, of Westminster, teaches law enforcement classes at the
Windham Regional Career Center at the high school, Clark said. She is
also the school's resource officer.
Clark was joined by Brattleboro School Superintendent Ron Stahley, along
with David Coughlin, the acting director of the Windham Regional Career
Center, which is based at Brattleboro Union High School, at an afternoon
press conference at the sheriff's department.
Clark said he had been called by Brattleboro Union High School officials
on Friday and had immediately placed Nelson on administrative leave with
pay, pending multiple investigations.
"I think it's vital to ensure that the student, the student's family,
the career center, the members of the department, the public and Capt.
Nelson can trust that I am doing everything possible to protect everyone
concerned as these investigations move forward, the facts are determined
and the truth of the situation becomes known," Clark said during his
midafternoon press conference.
"Anytime anyone potentially betrays that trust, that hurts," Clark said
of the incident.
"It was a tough thing to do, but it was the right thing to do," he said
of suspending Nelson.
He said he had asked Vermont State Police Col. James Baker to conduct an
investigation into Nelson's alleged behavior, and he said his department
would conduct its own investigation into Nelson's professional behavior.
Stahley said he was also conducting an investigation into Nelson's
alleged relationship with the student to determine whether Nelson's
conduct was "unbecoming of a professional educator."
"We are the protector of students, and we can't have inappropriate
behavior," the superintendent said.
Neither Clark nor Stahley would say much about the alleged relationship,
whether it was a consensual relationship, or whether it was with a male
or female student.
Nelson, a 17-year veteran of the Vermont State Police before she left
the force to run her private gym in downtown Bellows Falls, had been
hired by former Sheriff Sheila Prue and had been a sergeant with the
department.
Clark said he had immediately promoted Nelson to his second in command
once he took over the sheriff's department in 2007.
Stahley said school officials learned of the relationship on Friday, and
immediately contacted Clark, and the student's parents.
Stahley said even though 16 is the age of consent, there are state laws
against teachers and coaches having inappropriate relationships with
students. He said Nelson had started four years ago as the resource
officer at the high school and was funded by a grant.
The school superintendent would only say "information came to us" about
the relationship and the school "immediately involved the parents."
Clark, the former Bellows Falls Police chief who was elected sheriff in
2006 after Prue resigned in disgrace earlier that year, said he made the
public announcement because of his campaign promises of open government
and the public's right to know.
Clark said he had discussed the situation with the two sergeants in the
department and had already made plans to have Nelson replaced at the
career center. He said Nelson split her time between administrative
duties at the department and teaching at the high school. She has no
known open criminal cases, he said.
Clark said he had known Nelson for 17 years, ever since he was a patrol
officer with the Dover Police Department and Nelson was with the Vermont
State Police.
Clark said he had discussed the situation with Windham County State's
Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver and the head of the Vermont State Police.
Vermont State Police Col. James Baker said an investigator from a
different part of the state had already been assigned to the Nelson case
and he said he saw no conflict of interest because Nelson was a former
member of the state police.
Baker said he had been contacted by Clark on Friday about the case.
Nelson's suspension is the second highly publicized case involving
high-ranking women officers of the Windham County Sheriff's Department.
Clark said there was absolutely no connection between the two cases.
Prue, a former longtime Brattleboro police officer, pleaded guilty to
charges she embezzled thousands of dollars from her own department to
fund family expenses, everything from family cell phones to underwear,
bringing the once-thriving department to the brink of insolvency.
Contact Susan Smallheer at susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com. |
