Allison Marchese is a former English teacher and coach at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Connecticut, who was arrested in February 2015 for sexually assaulting students and sentenced in March 2017 to three years in prison after pleading guilty under the Alford doctrine to reduced charges. A related civil lawsuit brought by three former students ended in 2021 when the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the town and school district were shielded by governmental immunity.
The Allegations
A student reported misconduct to school administrators on January 7, 2015. The district notified Madison police and the Department of Children and Families the same day and placed Marchese on administrative leave.1New Haven Register. Madison Daniel Hand High Teacher Charged
Investigators spent roughly five weeks reviewing phone records and recovered inappropriate photos exchanged between Marchese and a student.2WTNH. Madison Teacher Charged With Sex Assault Police alleged Marchese performed oral sex on a 17-year-old student in her classroom and sent revealing photographs to students, including through Instagram. A second victim, a 15-year-old, was also identified.3NBC Connecticut. Madison Teacher Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Assault of Student Athlete
Marchese, then 37, turned herself in late on the night of February 11, 2015. She was charged with second-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, and impairing the morals of a child, and was released on $100,000 bond. She pleaded not guilty at her February 24, 2015 arraignment in Superior Court in New Haven.4Hartford Courant. Madison Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault of Student3NBC Connecticut. Madison Teacher Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Assault of Student Athlete
The Plea and Sentence
On November 28, 2016, Marchese entered an Alford plea before Superior Court Judge Melanie Cradle, conceding prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her without admitting guilt. The sexual assault and risk of injury charges were dropped and replaced with six lesser counts:5CT Insider. Former Madison Teacher Reaches Plea Deal in Sex Case
- Two counts of first-degree unlawful restraint
- Two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment
- One count of second-degree harassment
- One count of second-degree threatening
She was sentenced on March 3, 2017. Represented by attorney William F. Dow III, Marchese declined to speak, saying she was “too emotional.” A relative of one victim told the court her actions had “caused immeasurable damage to my son.”6Hartford Courant. Ex-Madison Teacher Sentenced to Three Years in Sex Case
Judge Cradle imposed a total effective sentence of three years and 360 days, suspended after three years in prison, followed by five years of probation. Marchese was also ordered to:
- Register as a sex offender for 10 years
- Comply with 10-year criminal protective orders barring contact with the victims and their families
- Undergo a sex offender evaluation and treatment
The plea agreement acknowledged Marchese could face deportation to Canada after her release.5CT Insider. Former Madison Teacher Reaches Plea Deal in Sex Case7New Haven Register. Former Madison Teacher Sentenced to Three Years
The Students’ Civil Lawsuit
Three former students, filing as John Doe I, II, and III, sued the Town of Madison, its Board of Education, and Daniel Hand High School Principal Anthony Salutari Jr. They argued school staff had reasonable cause to believe abuse was occurring and had failed the mandatory reporting duties owed under Connecticut General Statutes §§ 17a-101 and 17a-101a. They also argued they were identifiable victims subject to imminent harm, an exception to governmental immunity under § 52-557n, and one plaintiff argued a school resource officer had a ministerial duty to monitor security camera footage.8Connecticut Judicial Branch. Doe v. Madison – Case Summary
The trial court granted summary judgment for the defendants on immunity grounds. On July 30, 2021, the Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed in Doe v. Town of Madison, 340 Conn. 1, 262 A.3d 752. Chief Justice Robinson’s opinion found the evidence did not show staff had the reasonable cause needed to trigger mandatory reporting, rejected the identifiable-victim exception, and held the plaintiff challenging the officers’ conduct had not established a ministerial duty to review footage.9Vlex. Doe v. Town of Madison, 340 Conn. 1 The ruling shielded the town and school district from liability and became a reference point in Connecticut governmental immunity cases involving school employees.