Former NUHS teacher gets stay of adjudication

Makes Alford plea to malicious punishment charge

NEW ULM -- A 50-year-old former New Ulm High School teacher was sentenced with a stay of adjudication in Brown County District Court on Tuesday, April 4 for a malicious punishment of a child charge stemming from an Oct. 14, 2021 school incident.

Eric D. Kauffmann entered an Alford plea on Feb. 15, 2023. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while admitting the state has enough evidence for a conviction. It is handled in court the same as a guilty plea.

Kauffmann was placed on two years probation, fined $1,312.92, including $912.92 restitution, ordered to complete an anger management program, pay fees, have no contact with victim(s) unless probation approves contact through an apology letter or victim offender mediation.

Probation conditions include no threats of violence or displaying any threatening, harassing or intimidating behavior, surrender teaching license, resigning from any teaching jobs and complete 40 hours sentence to service within six months. Fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges were dismissed.

According to court documents, Kauffmann grabbed a juvenile student's arms during a phy-ed class in an attempt to get them to do a weight bench exercise correctly. He turned and yelled at a juvenile, shook a bench the juvenile sat on, causing them to fall off, grabbed the juvenile by the legs, lifting them off the floor as he yelled incoherently.

New Ulm Police School Resource Officer Andrew Achman reviewed school surveillance video of the incident, talked to the victim and got corroborating witness statements. The victim was not injured from falling off the bench of from being picked up off the ground but was visibly shaken by the incident.

Kauffmann was barred from the school campus and placed on paid administrative leave. He entered into a separation agreement with the school district Nov. 18 and resigned from the school district Feb. 28, 2022.