Unrestricted The case of a former special needs teacher who is accused of sexually abusing a teenage student is still in its preliminary stages before Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O. Malley. Monmouth County Prosecutor Danielle Zanzuccki began the session by asking the victim’s mother when her son revealed the alleged relationship.
Jackson resident Allison Havemann-Niedrach, 44, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old pupil while she was employed as a special education teacher at Freehold Borough Intermediate School in an eighth-grade classroom.According to the prosecution, the behavior included creating documents about child sexual assault, exchanging sexually graphic communications, and having intercourse in her home and car.
She faces seven charges: two counts of second-degree endangering, second-degree official misconduct, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree endangering, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child by manufacturing materials for child sexual abuse.
Using a cane, Havemann-Niedrach walked over to the defense table and took a seat behind lawyers Thomas Huth and recently hired co-counsel Matthew Mordas. In front of her lawyers, she tapped her fingers softly on the table, kept her eyes down, and periodically glanced at documents while three different witnesses testified.
Mother’s Statement
According to the mother of the adolescent victim, she first interacted with law enforcement in June 2024 when the Freehold Borough Police Department requested that she take her son to the station.
She was just informed by officers that a teacher had behaved inappropriately toward her son and that they wished to have a private conversation with him. She couldn’t hear the conversation because she wasn’t there throughout the interview.
She then gave police permission to search her son’s smartphone, which they retained. That evening, the teenager left for work without saying anything more about the situation.
She claimed that her son came up to her at home the following day. She testified that he was crying because he was afraid. He felt depressed.
The victim expressed regret and informed her that he had been seeing the instructor rather than the girl, who was Havemann-Niedrach’s daughter. He acknowledged having sex with the instructor twice in her vehicle and claimed that Havemann-Niedrach had threatened to approach the school’s director if he didn’t reply.
According to his mother, he was scared, ashamed, and worried that he could have to go to jail. Additionally, her son suggested that she consider suicide.
As she listened to her son, the mother claimed to have been crying. After she called the police, officers interviewed her again.
Examining and Arresting
When school authorities expressed concerns, Detective Sgt. Dawn Correa of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office testified that she and Detective Samuel Hernandez started looking into the matter. The victim was a student in another instructor’s science class, while Havemann-Niedrach was designated as the special education teacher.
A instructor claimed to have witnessed the defendant flirting with the victim, touching his leg, and rubbing his neck and back. According to Correa, an internal review was also carried out by the institution.
After interviewing the victim, Correa and Hernandez confiscated his mobile with his mother’s permission. It was possible to recover deleted texts connected to Havemann-Niedrach’s number. According to Correa, it was evident that there was a romantic and sexual relationship.
Detectives executed an arrest warrant at Havemann-Niedrach’s parents’ Jackson residence on June 26, 2024.She cooperated, according to body camera footage, but expressed discomfort speaking without her lawyer present.
According to Correa, aside from safety-related inquiries, no more queries concerning the probe were made.
Hernandez presented the defendant with a Miranda form at headquarters, and Correa informed her of the charges. Havemann-Niedrach reiterated that she still preferred her lawyer and had no interest in speaking when questioned again. Hernandez said under cross-examination that the defendant was never informed of her rights to speak, to remain silent, or to end the interrogation at any moment.
Informal Discussion While in Custody
Hernandez said that Havemann-Niedrach struck up a casual conversation during processing. She inquired as to whether he had ever seen her at the school before discussing her job, the Hispanic student body, and her belief that kids are growing up too quickly these days.
She also talked about using the parental monitoring app Bark on her daughter’s phone. Hernandez reported that Havemann-Neidrach’s spouse later informed police that he was not allowed to use the app.
Hernandez stated that there was no discussion of the accusations and that we were merely conversing.
Arguments in Law
During what is referred to as a fresh complaint hearing, the victim’s mother gave testimony. The purpose of this case is to decide whether testimony regarding a victim informing a trusted party of suspected abuse can be used as evidence in court. When the disclosure is made within a reasonable amount of time following the claimed incidence, this criterion usually applies.
Whether Havemann-Niedrach received a legitimate Miranda warning seems to have been questioned. The admissibility of the mother’s testimony that the victim said he would consider suicide has also been questioned by the defense.
Before rendering a decision, Judge O Malley directed the prosecution to submit transcripts of the body camera material.
Prosecutors presented a plea deal in May that called for a guilty plea to aggravated sexual assault, a 12-year prison sentence under the No Early Release Act, registration under Megan’s Law, and no communication with the victim. The offer was turned down by Havemann-Niedrach.
At 9 a.m. on September 9, the matter is expected to return to court. She could spend decades behind bars if found guilty of the most serious allegations.
