Former Raleigh school administrator accused of knowing about sexual abuse found not guilty of misdemeanor charge

The jury unanimously found Nancy Errichetti not guilty of the misdemeanor charge of contributing to the neglect of a minor. Jury deliberations started around 2 p.m. Monday and the verdict came before 5 p.m.

The charge stemmed from a 2016 incident at Montessori School of Raleigh where Errichetti was headmistress.

The jury decided if Errichetti, 59, knew about that sexual abuse and was in a position to act.

In North Carolina, contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by between one and 120 days of active, intermediate or community punishment. Criminal fines are determined by the court.

Monday marked the ninth day of Errichetti’s trial. The courtroom was packed with teachers, family of the victims and parents.

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On Monday, the prosecution spent an hour on its closing argument, working to convince the jury that Errichetti failed to investigate previous concerns about Smith’s behavior with female students. The prosecution believes Errichetti’s inaction left a middle school girl vulnerable to Smith in 2016. The prosecution said the girl is the younger sister of a previous victim of Smiths.

“She did no investigation [and] no follow-up,” said Assistant District Attorney Melanie Shekita. “She didn’t scratch the surface, had she attempted, but she didn’t.”

The defense also spent on hour on its closing argument.

Eileen Hurley, Errichetti’s attorney, believes that no one knew the older sister had sexual contact with Smith until a year after the younger student had left the school.

“There was no blind eye [or] deaf ear,” Hurley said.

Hurley also said the allegations of sexual assault occurred five years apart, making it difficult for Errichetti to take action. Hurley said that Errichetti consulted with teachers and the school’s attorney for advice.

“She did everything she could with information she had,” Hurley said of Errichetti. “She was [the] first one.”