Fargo Public Schools official staff photo
As first reported by Inforum, A Fargo Schools staff member is set to begin trial for allegedly sharing inappropriate photos with a male student. 33-year-old Ashley Peterson worked as a behavioral health specialist at Fargo Davies High School, as well as a live-in nanny for Fargo Public Schools Superintendent Rupak Ghandi’s children. She was terminated in October 2023 after an investigation into allegations that she communicated with a 16-year-old student on Snapchat since the previous Christmas, later asking him to send nude photos of himself. The two began exchanging nude photos in the summer of 2023, but the boy became uncomfortable when Peterson asked him to meet up with her, according to court documents. At a pre-trial hearing Monday, the defense and Assistant State’s Attorney argued over whether the 16-year-old boy should be referred to as a victim; Peterson’s defense, Adam Justinger, stated “victim” is “a highly prejudiced term,” and requested it not be used by prosecution. Ashlei Neufeld, Assistant State’s Attorney, asserted that “whether or not someone has been victimized — that is not what is at dispute at this hearing. Whether or not Ms. Peterson is the one who victimized that individual, that is what is at dispute.” Peterson’s trial is set to begin Tuesday morning, and is expected to last three days.
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