School board in Sussex County settles decades-old school abuse claims

Government transparency advocate John Paff obtained records detailing the $735,000 settlement.

The Stillwater Township Board of Education in Sussex County agreed to pay $735,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that a former elementary school teacher sexually abused a sixth-grade special education student more than 25 years ago and that school officials failed to protect the student.

The June 2026 settlement was detailed in a blog post this week by government transparency advocate John Paff, who obtained and examined court documents and other records.

The lawsuit stemmed from allegations dating back to the 1999-2000 school year at Stillwater Township Elementary School. The former student, identified in court records as John Doe, alleged that his teacher, Wendy Clothier, sexually abused him on and off school property and that school administrators failed to intervene despite warning signs.

According to Paff’s reporting, Doe filed the lawsuit April 6, 2023, naming Clothier, the school board, former Superintendent William Shelton and former Principal Anna Memmelaar as defendants.

The complaint alleged violations of New Jersey’s Child Sexual Abuse Act and Law Against Discrimination, along with other claims.

Doe’s mother reported the alleged abuse to school officials in August 2000. School officials maintained that they had no prior knowledge of sexual misconduct and promptly contacted law enforcement after receiving her report.

But testimony cited in Paff’s report raised questions about what administrators knew before the allegations surfaced. During a July 2, 2025, deposition, Memmelaar acknowledged that she and school psychologist Dr. Van Tamagnini had previously discussed Clothier’s relationship with the student. They had also spoken to Clothier about repeatedly allowing the boy to remain in her classroom when he was supposed to attend other classes. School officials maintained that those circumstances had not led them to suspect sexual misconduct.

In May 2026, Superior Court Judge Stephan C. Hansbury dismissed several of Doe’s claims against the school defendants but allowed claims under the Child Sexual Abuse Act and Law Against Discrimination to proceed. The judge also permitted Doe to continue pursuing punitive damages under the discrimination law.

Hansbury found that “the record contains evidence of sex-based abuse and failure to act on ‘red flags’” and determined that disputed factual questions should be decided by a jury, according to court documents cited by Paff.

The case was settled before a trial that was scheduled for June 8. Paff obtained the settlement records through the state’s Open Public Records Act.

Earlier criminal investigation

The allegations prompted a criminal investigation by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office in 2000.

According to investigative records. Doe’s mother told authorities that she became suspicious after arriving home early from work in August 2000 and finding Clothier’s car in her driveway. She reported that her son subsequently described alleged inappropriate sexual contact involving the teacher. Investigators also documented concerns about Clothier giving the student gifts and spending time with him outside normal classroom activities.

In an August 18, 2000, statement to investigators, Clothier “denied having done anything improper with [John Doe],” according to the records. She acknowledged giving the boy gifts and spending more time with him than she ordinarily spent with students, describing that conduct as a mistake.

In January 2001, Clothier was charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The case was handled through New Jersey’s Pretrial Intervention program, which allows eligible defendants to complete court-supervised requirements without a criminal conviction.

As part of the program, Clothier was required to resign from her tenured teaching position, avoid contact with the student and his family, undergo an evaluation, and comply with treatment recommendations. The criminal charge was subsequently dismissed after she completed the program. She was not convicted.

Separate proceedings concerning Clothier’s teaching credentials continued for several years. The New Jersey State Board of Examiners ultimately accepted Clothier’s voluntary surrender of all her teaching certificates in February 2007, with the same legal effect as revocation.

Settlement included confidentiality provision

Under the June 3, 2026, settlement agreement, the Stillwater Township Board of Education, Shelton and Memmelaar agreed to resolve the claims against them for $735,000, including the plaintiff’s attorney fees and costs.

Clothier was not identified as an individual settling party in the agreement, according to Paff. The agreement also contained a confidentiality provision requiring Doe to keep its terms private. But government settlement records are subject to disclosure under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, allowing the public to examine how public entities resolve litigation.

The settlement agreement expressly stated that it “does not constitute any admission of liability on the part of Defendant as to any matters whatsoever” and that the parties intended “to avoid further litigation and buy their peace.”

Paff sought comment from current Stillwater Township school officials, attorneys involved in the case, and an attorney who previously represented Clothier in the criminal proceedings. The only response came from Doe’s attorney, Jeffrey M. Patti, who provided a statement on his client’s behalf.

“My client is satisfied with the resolution of this matter and believes that, through pursuing this litigation, he has achieved a measure of accountability for the harm he suffered. It is his sincere hope that bringing these allegations to light will help prevent other children from experiencing similar abuse at the hands of those entrusted with their care,” Patti wrote.