A South Brunswick woman has been charged with assaulting children she taught at a childcare school in Robbinsville last month.
Ekta Dwarkesh, 45, slapped two children in the face, causing one to suffer a nosebleed, and grabbed the arm of a third, causing a visible injury, police said. She taught at The Malvern School on Route 33 at the time.
She’s charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child by abuse or neglect, court documents show.
A Robbinsville police detective wrote in April 5 charging documents that surveillance video from the school showed Dwarkesh assaulting two children, and investigators interviewed the three children at the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Malvern School said in a statement that school officials learned of the alleged incidents on March 20 and immediately removed Dwarkesh from the school, contacted state child care authorities as well as the kids’ parents, and ultimately fired her.
“The action taken by this individual is not only prohibited, but it also goes completely against the values of our dedicated and caring team. We remain committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our children, families, and staff through strict safeguarding protocols,” the statement said.
The Malvern School currently operates 27 schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Attorney information was not immediately available for Dwarkesh.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.
