NJ high school arts teacher accused of sexually assaulting student

By Edward Era Barbacena

A New Jersey high school arts white teacher was arrested last week after allegedly sexually assaulting a student and providing the victim with drugs, prosecutors said.

Christine Knudsen, 44, a teacher at Fair Lawn High School, allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with the student in September 2018, according to court records obtained by NJ.com.

The teacher is also accused of consuming controlled substances with the student, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors were tipped off to Knudsen’s alleged behavior last Tuesday.

By Thursday, authorities arrested the teacher and charged her with sexual assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

“We do not understand there to be any allegations of current misconduct,” Fair Lawn Schools Superintendent Nicholas Norcia said in a letter to parents after Knudsen’s arrest, NJ.com reported.

“Law enforcement has made clear that it does not consider any current students at risk of harm, in any way,” the letter continued.