School district releases info on school employees facing charges

Four educators with the River Valley School District were charged with failure to report suspected child abuse in late May. The district just released new information about the employees charged.

The four educators work at Three Oaks Elementary School.

In May 2017, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office charged the educators for failing to report abuse of a student at their school.

The child's father and stepmother were convicted of child abuse first degree in 2017.

According to the prosecutor's office, educators are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

The following people are facing charges

• Heidi Clark - Clark is the principal of Three Oaks Elementary School. She has worked with the district since August 1998 and has no discipline on record.
• Matt Cook - Cook is a Three Oaks Elementary School guidance counselor. He has worked with the district since September 2015 and has no discipline on record.
• Diane Balling - Balling is a Three Oaks Elementary School special education teacher. She has been with the district since August 2009. There is a record of her being late for work on December 11, 2015.
• Sherrie Bender is a teacher at Three Oaks Elementary. She has been with the district since March 1992 and has no discipline on record.

All four are on active duty with the district.