Madison Bergmann, the Wisconsin elementary school teacher accused of “making out” with a fifth-grade student, reportedly asked a judge if it’s OK to be around children again, the New York Times reports.
An attorney representing Bergmann, 24, filed a request in July to clarify the conditions of her bond, which currently prohibits her from being in any place where children are present. The attorney’s request is seeking clarification on whether the suspect can visit restaurants and stores where children may be present.
Bergmann also filed a motion to dismiss the criminal complaint, which was met with criticism from former colleagues at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin, where she was fired after the accusations were made public.
“It’s ridiculous,” a teacher told the New York Post. “She has left a wake of destruction at the school, and she thinks she shouldn’t face the consequences for that?”
Bergmann was arrested in May on one count of first-degree sexual assault and was released on a $25,000 signature bond, according to charging documents obtained by CBS News. The parents of the 11-year-old boy overheard the child having a phone conversation with Bergmann earlier in the week, at which point they found texts between two in which she allegedly discussed multiple encounters inside the classroom, during lunch or after school, as well as how much she enjoyed him touching her and “making out,” documents stated.
The child told investigators that he communicated with Bergmann “almost daily” and got her phone number when they went skiing with his mother at Afton Alps during winter break, which Bergmann also confirmed, though claiming it was in case they got separated at the park. An officer reportedly found a folder with the child’s name on it containing handwritten notes inside Bergmann’s backpack.
The teacher and the child were reported to have shared the notes throughout the day, which included letters detailing incidents in which they kissed each other, according to court documents.
“One of my cousins is in the 5th grade and I can’t imagine a man talking to her how we talk,” Bergmann allegedly wrote in a note shared to the child. “I know we have a special relationship and I do love you more than anyone in the world but I have to be the adult here and stop.”
Bergmann became engaged to her longtime boyfriend in December, the same month that she and the boy claimed to have exchanged phone numbers, and scheduled her wedding for July, the New York Post reports, citing her social media accounts. River Crest School Principal issued a statement saying the school community was “shocked and disturbed by this news” in response to allegations against Bergmann via CBS News.
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