PRINCETON, Minnesota — A former teacher has been charged with assault after video surveillance allegedly shows her throwing a hockey stick, and hitting a student in the mouth, according to court documents.
Kimberly Neubauer is charged with third-degree assault in connection to an incident on March 29, 2022 at Princeton Primary School in Mille Lacs County.
According to the criminal complaint, Princeton Police received a report from the Minnesota Department of Education about an incident where a child under the age of 13 was injured by a teacher. Surveillance video shows the student toss a hockey stick into a pile of other sticks, and then a woman, identified by officials to be Neubauer, is then seen picking up the stick from the pile, and then "forcefully" tossing the stick toward the child. The complaint goes on to say that the child was hit in the mouth.
Dental records indicate that his upper-right front baby tooth was knocked out by a hockey stick, court documents show. The records also showed bruising in the area of the injury.
Following the incident, the Princeton Public Schools District provided a statement saying that Neubauer was placed on administrative leave while they investigated the allegations. Officials with the district later placed Neubauer on an "unpaid leave of absence" on April 8, 2022 for the remainder of the school year. Then on June 3, 2022, Neubauer was no longer an employee of the district, according to school officials.
The full statement reads:
Student safety is the top priority of the Princeton Public School District. When the District receives a complaint related to student safety, we investigate immediately and take appropriate action to address any substantiated concerns. In those rare situations in which a staff member’s conduct creates or contributes to a dangerous situation, the District may take action to end the employment relationship. In addition, the district would file a report with the Minnesota Department of Education and report to law enforcement.
The District has received questions about its response to a particular incident. Although data privacy laws prohibit the District from sharing details about the incident, we can state that allegations were made against teacher Kim Neubauer. The District placed Ms. Neubauer on administrative leave while it investigated the allegations. After completing its investigation, the District acted quickly and decisively. As of April 8, 2022, Ms. Neubauer was placed on an unpaid leave of absence for the remainder of the school year. Additionally, Ms. Neubauer’s employment with the District ended on June 3, 2022. As a result, Ms. Neubauer is no longer an employee of the District.
We love our students and we work tirelessly to protect and support them. We welcome and value parent feedback and recognize that together we are stronger and better equipped to respond to any safety concerns that may arise.
