Akwesasne child educators charged with endangerment

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe administration offices on State Route 37 in Hogansburg, N.Y. as seen in this Dec. 13, 2014, file photo. Two early childhood educators have been charged with child endangerment following an internal investigation. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

AKWESASNE, N.Y. – Two former early childhood educators with the Saint Regis Early Childhood Development Program have been charged with multiple counts of child endangerment.

The charges were laid Tuesday, July 12, 2016 following a two month internal program investigation in conjunction with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Education Division terminated the two employees from the Head Start program in May 2016 before police were brought into the fold.

The child endangerment came to light after coworkers reported the “unfortunate incident” through a written complaint, the tribal government said in a statement.

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe says it was enforcing its zero tolerance policy but didn’t elaborate on what exactly had happened.

A parent meeting has been scheduled for today (Thursday) at 5:15 p.m.

Kimberly A. Moffitt, 45, of Massena, is charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of second degree harassment.

Melissa S. Dunkelberg, 33, also of Massena, is charged with 12 counts of endangerous the welfare of a child and one count of second degree harassment.

Both have been arraigned at the town court in Bombay, N.Y.