Stamford student who had relationship with teacher awarded settlement

A former Stamford High School student who had an eight-month relationship with English teacher Danielle Watkins has reached a settlement with the city. A former Stamford High School student who had an eight-month relationship with English teacher Danielle Watkins has reached a settlement with the city. Photo: Jason Rearick / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Jason Rearick / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Stamford student who had relationship with teacher awarded settlement 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — The former Stamford High School student who had an eight-month affair with jailed former English teacher Danielle Watkins has reached a $750,000 settlement with the city.

The youth, who is now 19, made a complaint to police in June 2014 that Watkins began a sexual relationship with him earlier that school year.

Norwalk attorney Donald Papcsy represents the teen whose identity is being protected as a victim of sexual abuse, along with another student who Watkins supplied marijuana to during the 2013 school year. Papcsy said the out-of-court settlement was reached over the past week.

Stamford Corporation Counsel Kathryn Emmett confirmed the $750,000 settlement had been made and was structured to pay out to the youth until 2041. Emmett declined further comment.

According to the agreement, Papcsy said he could not discuss the amount of the settlement. But the Papcsy Janosov Roche law firm’s Facebook page has a recent post announcing a $750,000 settlement for a sexual misconduct claim against “a municipality.” Papcsy said he could not confirm or deny the announcement was about the Stamford case.

The agreement was reached before Papcsy filed a civil suit in the matter, although a legal complaint setting up the suit was sent to Stamford city attorneys. Papcsy said an agreement was reached after several days of mediation.

“We are always striving to create change in our towns and cities by holding municipalities responsible for their negligence and shedding light on the need for new immunity laws to force them to act responsibly in their duty to protect our students and citizens,” Papcsy said Thursday.

Papcsy acknowledged it is unusual for cases such as these to be settled before going into litigation.

“But when you have an opportunity to resolve sensitive matters without putting clients through the additional trauma of litigation, you certainly want to settle the matter if the result you achieve is the same,” he said.

Papcsy declined to comment about his client’s reaction to the settlement.

The law firm’s Facebook page said that although the settlement with the municipality was for $750,000, its total value will grow to $1.1 million

Revelations of the year-long sexual misconduct by Watkins, who is serving a five-year prison sentence, plunged the school district into crisis and led to the arrest of Stamford High Principal Donna Valentine and her assistant, Roth Nordin. Valentine has since been fired and Nordin has resigned.

Former Schools Superintendent Winifred Hamilton announced her early retirement last year, citing in part the loss of public trust in her administration. The scandal also took a toll on the makeup and reputation of the school board. After the November 2015 election, only three of nine incumbents remained on the board.

Police also made accusations the high school administrators were told of the relationship, well before the student made it known to others, and did nothing to stop it.

Assault charge

More Information Settlement amount $750,000 awarded to former Stamford High student who had affair with English teacher.

Watkins was arrested and charged with sexual assault in July 2014, after an 18-year-old student came forward and said he and Watkins had sex more times than he could count since the school year began. He said Watkins provided and smoked marijuana with him and another younger student.

He told the police the sexual encounters took place off-campus, when she would drive them up Strawberry Hill Avenue to a parking lot next to Barrett Park.

He also told police Watkins threatened to give him a failing grade if he broke off the relationship.

A day after the student made the complaint, police searched Watkins‘ car while she was in Norwalk. According to the police report of the incident, Watkins tried to hide her cellphone from police and became verbally combative after marijuana was discovered in her car.

A search of her phone revealed more than 2,000 text messages, naked pictures of herself and hundreds of calls between her and the student, police said.

Watkins agreed in December 2014 to plead guilty to a second-degree assault charge in exchange for her attorney being allowed to argue for the minimum sentence of nine months in jail.

But just over a month later, Watkins was caught on camera at the Prospect Street Dunkin’ Donuts, just down the hill from Stamford High, standing next to the younger victim involved in the case. The youth told police Watkins walked up to him and said, “I’m coming for you,” and accused him of being a snitch.

Watkins was arrested again, putting her plea deal into jeopardy while logging new charges of threatening and violating the conditions of her release, because she had been warned by a judge not to contact either boy.

Judge Gary White ended up sentencing Watkins to five years in jail, but spared her the maximum sentence of 20 years she faced if convicted by a jury.

jnickerson@scni.com;