MCPS teacher on leave released on bond after trespassing incident at Silver Spring school 

27-year-old with mental health issues was trying to visit students, public defender says

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June 19, 2026 11:34 a.m.

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A 27-year-old teacher on leave who was formerly assigned to Glen Haven Elementary was released on bond Thursday after she was arrested Wednesday for allegedly trespassing and assaulting school staff inside the Silver Spring school, according to court proceedings in Montgomery County District Court.  

Nadine Akoko Sefako Dogbo, 27, of Gaithersburg was charged with trespassing, two counts of second-degree assault and “additional charges related to disrupting the educational process, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct” following Wednesday’s incident at the school at 10900 Inwood Ave., according to Wednesday statement from county police.  

During a Thursday afternoon bond hearing, District Court Judge Michael Glynn released Dogbo on an $2,500 unsecured bond, meaning the bond is paid only if the suspect does not appear in court, and with pre-trial supervision.  

Dogbo was placed on leave from MCPS and was formerly assigned to Glen Haven as a teacher, MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez told Bethesda Today in a Wednesday email.   

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According to police, officers responded shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to the school for the report of a former employee trespassing in the building.   

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.  

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During the bond hearing, the public defender representing Dogbo said that Dogbo, who was recently diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, went to the school to visit former students. The public defender said Dogbo’s badge to get into the building still worked and the former did not understand why she was being asked to leave the school, and that the public defender believed the incident was due to mental health issues and miscommunication.  

The prosecutor handling the case said that while not unsympathetic to the mental health issues that Dogbo was facing, the state’s attorney’s office were concerned about the safety of the schools. 

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine