4th Grader Shut In Closet By Teacher, Ridiculed By Peers During Class In Wall Twp: Lawsuit

The suit (see attachment) filed Friday, Oct. 13 in Monmouth County Superior Court alleges that Central Elementary School music teacher Jessica Berube shut their fourth grader in a storage closet on April 8. 2022, for laughing.

Daily Voice reached out to the Wall Township Board of Education, the district's superintendent, and Central Elementary School principal for comment. Superintendent Dr. Tracy Handerhan said the district cannot comment on personnel matters.

"Defendant Berube removed a drum set from a classroom closet and forced Minor Plaintiff L.A. to go into said closet," the lawsuit reads. "Thereafter, Defendant Berube walked out of the closet, closed the door, and left Minor Plaintiff L.A. alone and unsupervised."

During the between two and three minutes she spent inside of the closet, students made faces at the girl and ridiculed her through a window on the closet door, as she stood inside, the lawsuit reads. Neither Foutz nor Berube opened the door for the girl to leave, who instead, let herself out, court papers say.

The girl allegedly overheard another music teacher identified in the suit as Adrienne Foutz, to delete footage of the alleged incident.

"When Minor Plaintiff L.A. exited the closet, no teacher, including but not limited to Defendants Berube and Foutz, ever spoke further to her about why she was put in the closet in the first place," court papers say.

The girl has since been experiencing "severe and lasting emotional distress" because of the incident, the lawsuit says. One of her classmates later that day referred to her as "closet girl," the lawsuit alleges.

The girl's parents were notified of the incident the next day during a softball game, by another child's parents, according to the lawsuit.

In May, the girl experienced a mental health crisis at school requiring intervention from the school guidance counselor, according to the suit.

The lawsuit further accuses the teachers and district of negligence, gross negligence and reckless conduct. Neither Berube nor Foutz are listed as employees of Central Elementary School on its website.

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