Ashley L. Frabizzio, 30, of Butler, was arrested last Saturday and has been suspended from her teaching job in Elmwood Park.
An attorney for Ashley L. Frabbizio says the suspended teacher is innocent of child-abuse charges. (Bergen County Prosecutor's Office) ELMWOOD PARK - An attorney for a special education teacher charged with child abuse is calling the accusations "perplexing," saying any contact between the woman and the 9-year-old alleged victims in her care was in line with school policy.
Ashley L. Frabizzio, 30, of Butler, was arrested last Saturday and charged with two counts each of child abuse and simple assault.
The married mother of one young daughter is free on $2,500 bail and has been suspended from her $47,000-a-year job with pay.
Frabizzio's attorney, Timothy Smith of Fairfield, said Thursday the allegations are untrue and that his client plans to fight them in court.
"To the extent that there was any physical contact, it was non-injurious, incidental, and in strict conformance with protocols established for addressing the behaviors germane to this type of classroom setting," Smith stated in an email to NJ Advance Media.
According to criminal complaints, the abuse is alleged to have occurred earlier this fall at the Sixteenth Avenue Elementary School:
- Sometime in November, Frabizzio is accused of "forcefully grabbing Z.R. (a 9-year-old child) by the arms and forcefully pushing Z.R. into a chair."
- On or about Dec. 3 or 4, Frabizzio is accused of grabbing a 9-year-old child identified as J.L. and "pushing J.L. to the floor, causing him to hit his head on a piece of furniture" and causing bodily injury.
The warrants state that Frabizzio was responsible for the care of both children.
A school administrator reported the alleged abuse to authorities, as required by state law.
Frabizzio's attorney, however, suggested the charges are politically motivated.
"How these events resulted in charges of this nature (is) perplexing," Smith said. "It reeks of retaliation, politics, and vendetta - dynamics that will be exposed when Ms. Frabizzio is vindicated."
The attorney also criticized the release of the teacher's mug shot, which appears to show Frabizzio in a fragile state after her arrest.
"The real tragedy is that we currently live under a system which allows for the indelible association of her name and face with these charges, at a time when she is supposed to be presumed innocent," Smith said.
A spokeswoman for the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office did not respond Thursday to a request for comment on the attorney's statements.
Frabizzio waived a first-appearance scheduled for Tuesday in Elmwood Park Municipal Court. The case has been forwarded to Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack for review and possible indictment.
A court date has not been set.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.