NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley Police Director Alphonse Petracco and Chief Thomas Strumolo announced the arrest of Richard Dunn, 58, of Nutley, in a March 15 press release. According to Strumolo, Dunn, a Nutley High School substitute teacher, had been under investigation for the previous week for allegations of inappropriate behavior while teaching class on March 11.
The Nutley Police Department and Essex County Prosecutor’s Office found enough probable cause to charge Dunn with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, and one count of lewdness for the March 11 incident, in which, according to charging documents, he was touching himself in the classroom in front of students. Police also charged Dunn with one count of endangering the welfare of a minor for an incident from Feb. 1, in which, according to charging documents, students recorded Dunn touching himself in the classroom.
Dunn was arrested on March 15 without incident and taken to police headquarters for processing, then detained at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
“Protecting the children, and the residents of this community is our No. 1 concern,” Petracco said. “When police are called upon to investigate allegations as serious as the ones reported last week, we prioritize our efforts to ensure no one is at risk.”
Petracco and Strumolo commended the Nutley detectives, school administrators and Essex County Prosecutor’s Office personnel for working to resolve this investigation.
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