Former Gretna preschool teacher charged with child abuse

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A former Gretna preschool teacher was charged with child abuse on Monday.

Tammy Haberer, 59, was charged with intentionally committing child abuse without physical injury. Her bond was also set at 10% of $75,000.

Her conditional bond prohibits any contact with the victim or any child 18 years or younger.

In a statement sent to Channel 8, Gretna Public Schools Superintendent Travis Lightle said Haberer was a preschool teacher at Harvest Hills Elementary School.

Lightle said the school became aware of the incident on Feb. 27 and immediately removed Haberer from the classroom, placing her on administrative leave.

“The safety, health, and emotional well-being of our students is our district’s top priority,” Lightle said. “We were deeply disturbed to learn of Mrs. Haberer’s actions. We entrust our educators with our most vulnerable children and expect every staff member to uphold the highest standards of care. When that trust is broken, we will take immediate, uncompromising action to protect our students.”

You can read the full statement from Lightle below:

The Gretna School District was notified that Tammy Haberer, a former preschool teacher at Harvest Hills Elementary, has been formally charged by law enforcement with child abuse involving a student in her classroom.

Upon first becoming aware of the incident on February 27th, the District immediately removed Mrs. Haberer from the classroom, placed her on administrative leave, notified the parents of the student involved, and initiated an internal investigation while notifying the appropriate authorities. Following the initial review, the District took decisive action to formally cancel Mrs. Haberer’s employment contract, effective April 24th. She was no longer employed by the District in any capacity.

The District has cooperated fully with, and will continue to cooperate fully with, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) during this ongoing criminal investigation. Due to state and federal privacy laws protecting minors, as well as restrictions related to an active law enforcement prosecution, the District cannot release specific details about the student’s identity or the exact nature of the incident.

Haberer’s next court date is set for July 9 at 9 a.m.

This is a developing story. Check back with Channel 8 for updates.