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North Dakota teacher sentenced to federal prison for child abuse and assault

North Dakota teacher sentenced to federal prison for child abuse and assault

FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – The United States Attorney’s Office has announced that a Belcourt, North Dakota woman will go to federal prison on multiple charges.

Rhawnie Marcellais, 42, appeared in federal court Wednesday before Judge Peter Welte. She was sentenced to 50 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He is also ordered to pay $300 in special assessment costs and is ordered to pay $1,302 in restitution for an Indian County child abuse incident, assault with a dangerous weapon and malicious mischief.

Court documents show that on or about January 1, 2021, police in Belcourt were notified of an underage female at the police station who requested to speak with officers.

The minor woman stated that she had an argument with her mother, the suspect. The minor woman left the police station shortly afterwards after being arrested by her father. A few hours later, the same minor female went to the emergency room in Belcourt, ND, indicating that she had been assaulted by her mother, during which defendant threw an empty beer bottle at the minor female, striking the minor female in the neck and shoulder. The suspect then pushed a pillow in the minor’s face. Injuries were noted on the minor female, consistent with her description of the incident.

In September 2022, a video surfaced showing the incident as described by the minor victim. The video was provided to Turtle Mountain Child Welfare, which in turn provided the video to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

During the course of the child abuse investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was made aware that defendant had assaulted an adult female in January 2023. Defendant assaulted the adult female by kicking the adult female’s face, chest, ribs and arms while the adult female lay on the ground. Medical records showed the adult female had broken ribs and a concussion.

Dunseith Public Schools Superintendent David Sjol confirmed that Marcellais was an English teacher at the school and was on administrative leave pending the investigation. Upon her arrest, he issued the following statement:

“The district can confirm that it has received a report from law enforcement regarding alleged inappropriate behavior by a teacher, although very little information is known to us at this time. The teacher is on administrative leave pending an investigation. The District takes all reports of alleged staff misconduct very seriously and follows applicable District policies and procedures in responding to and investigating complaints. The district wants all staff and students to feel safe and comfortable in our educational and work environments, and encourages anyone with concerns to contact a school administrator.”

On June 28, 2024, after a four-day jury trial, defendant Rhawnie Marcellais was convicted of child abuse in Indian Country, assault with a dangerous weapon, and malicious mischief. That same day, the suspect requested contact with the minor female victim, claiming there were no longer concerns about witness tampering. District Court Judge Peter Welte rejected the request for contact. Despite the court’s order, the suspect contacted the minor female victim during detention.

“The Attorney General’s Office is committed to public safety in Indiana, especially when it comes to protecting children,” Schneider said. “As this sentence shows, child abuse is a serious crime. The career prosecutors who expertly tried this case and our partners in the FBI and BIA who investigated this case deserve credit for ensuring accountability and ensuring that justice was served.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn M. Deitz and SheraLynn Ternes.