OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A former Omaha elementary school principal accused last year of not immediately reporting a teacher’s suspected sexual abuse of students has pleaded no contest to failing to report child abuse.
Eric Nelson entered the plea Thursday in Douglas County District Court, television station KETV reported. Nelson was principal of Fontenelle Elementary School when prosecutors say he failed to report first-grade teacher Greg Sedlacek to authorities, even after seeing photos of Sedlacek sexually assaulting a student. State law requires educators to report suspected abuse of children.
Nelson was placed on leave following Sedlacek’s arrest and resigned last June, about a month after Sedlacek pleaded guilty to three counts of child sex assault. Sedlacek is now serving a 50- to 100-year prison sentence.
Sedlacek was arrested in December 2018 after other teachers reported seeing him molest a 7-year-old girl on the school’s playground. Other victims came forward, and prosecutors determined he had assaulted several 6- and 7-year-old girls who were students in his classes.
Nelson will be sentenced in April.
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