Wisconsin teachers Abigail Faust and Madison Bergmann have been convicted of sex crimes involving minors after both worked as fifth-grade teachers at the same elementary school.
Faust, 25, a former teacher at River Crest Elementary School, pleaded guilty to child enticement and second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16. Prosecutors said she sexually assaulted two 15-year-old boys. One of the boys was from a family that had previously employed Faust as a nanny.
Faust’s former colleague and friend, Bergmann, 26, had already pleaded guilty in a separate case involving an 11-year-old student. She admitted to child enticement and sexual misconduct and was sentenced to six years in prison.
The cases became connected in part through communications between the two former teachers. Prosecutors said Faust and Bergmann exchanged text messages discussing their respective relationships with the boys.
Faust also faced allegations involving one of her own fifth-grade students. She was accused of keeping the child after class and kissing him on the cheek. Prosecutors further alleged that Faust knew Bergmann was “making out” with the 11-year-old student but did not report the conduct.
Those allegations against Faust did not result in convictions. The charges connected to them were dismissed as part of her plea agreement.
During her court appearance, Faust acknowledged the seriousness of her actions and told the court that what she had done could not be dismissed as a simple mistake or lapse in judgment. She also said she was undergoing therapy to better understand the decisions that led to her conduct.
The convictions have drawn attention because both women had worked at the same elementary school and were colleagues and friends before their criminal cases came to light. The allegations involving their students were separate, but prosecutors’ account of their communications brought the two cases into the same investigation.
Faust has not yet been sentenced. She is scheduled to return to court for sentencing in December, where the court will determine the consequences of her guilty pleas.
