By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Bergen County announced the arrest of Amy Dovidio, 46, of Pompton Plains, on charges of aggravated explicit assault, explicit assault, endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated criminal explicit contact, and criminal explicit contact.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said the arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew Finck and the Garfield Police Department under the direction of Chief Richard Uram.
According to officials, on Saturday, February 10, the Garfield Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the report of a teacher engaging in explicit conduct with a student at Garfield Middle School.
An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Garfield Police Department revealed that Amy Dovidio, while previously employed by the Garfield School District as a teacher, had engaged in explicit conduct with a student who was between the ages of 13 and 17, officials stated.
Officials said the explicit conduct occurred within the Garfield Middle School, at a private residence in Cedar Grove, as well as within a vehicle at unknown locations in Bergen, Essex, and Passaic Counties.
As a result of the investigation, officials say, on Friday, February 16, Amy Dovidio was arrested in Paramus and charged with first-degree aggravated explicit assault, second-degree explicit assault, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree aggravated criminal explicit contact, and fourth-degree criminal explicit contact.
Authorities say Dovidio was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending her first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.