Gaithersburg woman charged with trespassing, assault at elementary school found not competent for trial 

Nadine Dogbo to be re-evaluated ahead of December court date, Montgomery County district judge orders 

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August 14, 2026 4:45 p.m. | Updated: August 14, 2026 4:55 p.m.

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A teacher accused of assaulting two administrators while trespassing at the Silver Spring elementary school where she previously worked is not competent to stand trial, a Montgomery County judge decided Friday in Rockville’s District Court. 

Nadine Akoko Sefako Dogbo, 27, of Gaithersburg, also faces charges related to “disrupting the educational process, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct” during the June 17 incident at Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) Glen Haven Elementary, online court records show. She is being held without bond. 

Following a Monday hearing during which Dogbo became argumentative and insulted her attorney, District Judge John Moffett ordered Dogbo to undergo a competency evaluation.  

The evaluation determined that Dogbo is not competent to stand trial, District Judge Patrick Mays said in court on Friday. He ordered that she be committed to the Maryland Department of Health for treatment in hopes that her competency will be restored by Dec. 15, her next scheduled court appearance. 

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Dogbo appeared in court virtually on Friday and, like Monday’s hearing, she had repeated outbursts insisting that she is an educator and that there is “no evidence” she harassed or assaulted anyone. She also questioned how she could be found not competent to stand trial, stating “this court of law is unjust.” 

Alex Leikus, who is representing Dogbo in two unrelated criminal matters from April 25 and June 18, also appeared virtually at Friday’s hearing. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bethesda Today on Friday afternoon. 

An attorney from the Office of the Public Defender, which is representing Dogbo in the case related to the Glen Haven incident, previously told a judge that Dogbo is diagnosed with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. He said he believed her conduct on June 17 stemmed from her mental health issues and miscommunication with officials at the school. 

It is still not known how Dogbo gained access to Glen Haven the day of her arrest. According to Montgomery County police, officers responded to the school shortly after 11:30 a.m. on June 17 for a report of a former employee trespassing in the building.    

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While officers were en route to the school, they were informed that the person allegedly assaulted school staff and the school was placed in a lockdown.    

In a letter to the school community provided to Bethesda Today, Glen Haven Principal Tara Strain said an “unauthorized former staff member” entered the building, prompting a call to police. The school was placed on lockdown from 11:34 a.m. to 11:49 a.m. while Dogbo, who was not named in the letter, was in the building.    

Police said officers found Dogbo outside the school building and she “ran off” when officers arrived. She was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit.   

In an email to Bethesda Today this week, MCPS spokesperson Liliana López said she could not discuss the details of Dogbo’s leave as it is a personnel matter. She also did not answer a question about whether Dogbo’s badge to enter the school building still worked on June 17. 

When asked the protocol for badge access, López said badges are collected when an employee is placed on leave. If a badge is not collected, it is supposed to be deactivated.   

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Bethesda Today education reporter Ashlyn Campbell contributed to this story. 

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine