NJ teacher charged with having sex with 3 of her students

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. -- A New Jersey high school teacher and mother of two children is accused of having sex with three of her students.

Maplewood Police traveled to the Caldwell home of Nicole Dufault where they served a search warrant and looked at her computer.

Prosecutors say the 34-year-old Language Arts teacher at Maplewood's Columbia High School took advantage of her own students, multiple 15 year old boys, for sex on school property and even in her car.

"In her car? Where? Where could that have happened?" said Julia Uhlman, a recent graduate.

The Maplewood/South Orange community spent the night day trying to process the astonishing news.

Dufault has been a teacher at Columbia High for nearly a decade.

"I don't understand how someone can't pick up the clues for something like that or how any one of those kids would not have said something before now. It's really surprising to me," said Jennifer Berkeley, a parent.

"They're 15, not even 17, 18, not even high school seniors. That's appalling. She should be fired," Uhlman said.

There's no comment from the district, aside from a letter to parents pledging cooperation with detectives, as they make their case.

Dufault, who recently separated from her husband, lives in Caldwell raising their two young kids on her own.

Prosecutors say the children have been removed from her custody.

Nancy Ursetti lives just a few doors away.

"She was so gentle with those children she seemed like the best mother," Ursetti said, "If you can't trust her it's like oh my gosh."