PARIS — A former Lake Regional Middle School teacher will face a year of administrative probation, after she pleaded guilty Wednesday at the Oxford County courthouse to having sexual contact with a student. 

Michelle Dunn, 41, of Woodstock, who taught English language arts to seventh- and eighth-grade students at the Naples school, pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor criminal count of unlawful sexual touching.

The Class E crime is the least severe under Maine’s criminal code. It is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Two other misdemeanor counts of unlawful sexual contact were dropped as part of the plea deal. 

Dunn was given a suspended 90-day jail sentence. According to the terms of her release, she must complete a sexual offender evaluation by Oct. 15 and can have no contact with the student. She will not have to register as a sex offender. 

While Dunn was a teacher at the middle school, she intentionally subjected a 14- or 15-year-old male student to sexual contact in Sweden on Sept. 14, 2015, according to a complaint by Lt. Tom Harriman of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. 

School Administrative District 61 Superintendent Al Smith confirmed Dunn on resigned Sept. 30, 2015. According to meeting minutes, the resignation was accepted by the school board Oct. 5, 2015.

Smith said Dunn did not return to teach after the alleged incident. He declined to comment in detail, citing the court case. 

“The matter has been handled, and there was no incident within the school,” Smith said. 

Dunn’s license to teach in Maine is active until July 1, 2017, according to Anne Gabbianelli, director of communications for the Maine Department of Education. It’s unknown if her license will be revoked as a result of this case.

ccrosby@sunjournal.com 

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