Laurel Teacher to Stand Trial on Child Abuse Charges

Susan Burke, former first grade teacher at Greencastle Elementary in Silver Spring, is scheduled to stand trial in Rockville on child abuse charges on Oct. 17, according to online court documents. 

Montgomery County Police Burke, 35, of Laurel, with nine counts of second-degree assault after receiving reports from eight of her first-grade students that she had chocked them at least once. 

Police began to investigate Burke on Jan. 7. One of her male students, age 7, told officers at the  that Burke had assaulted him on “numerous occasions,” according to Howard Hersh, a spokesperson for the police department. 

Detectives interviewed all 16 of Burke's students and eight victims, ages 6 and 7, were identified. All of the student victims reported that Burke had choked them, while others said that the teacher kicked, punched, scratched or squeezed their arms tightly, police said. The children said the abuses occurred at the school, located on 13611 Robey Road, during regular hours throughout the month of December 2010.

Other students who did not report being victimized corroborated the accounts.

Burke’s online court records show that she was eventually charged with 12 offenses: 10 counts of second-degree assault and two counts of second-degree child abuse.

A motions hearing is scheduled for Sept. 22. Ryan Wechsler, assistant state’s attorney who is prosecuting Burke, said that she is not able to comment on the case at this time.

Seth Zucker, a spokesperson for Montgomery County state’s attorney’s office, said that motions hearings are normally motions by the defense (in this case, Burke) to suppress state evidence prior to the actual trial.  

Both the motions hearing and the trial will take place before Judge Ronald Rubin.