A former English teacher at Tabor Academy has been arraigned on 12 counts of rape and one count of intimidating a witness in connection with allegations that she sexually abused a student over a three-year period.
Nannie Clough, 57, was arraigned Aug. 17 in Brockton Superior Court. She pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released without bail. The court ordered her to have no contact with the alleged victim and to surrender her passport.
Clough, who now lives in Colorado, is accused of sexually abusing the girl from 1996 to 1999, beginning when the student was 15 and in her sophomore year at Tabor, according to court records and attorneys.
Kristin Knuuttila, an attorney representing the alleged victim, said Clough first groomed the student by welcoming her into her home, taking her on vacations and assuming what appeared to be a surrogate-mother role.
“The thing that made Clough’s abuse so particularly insidious is that she first groomed and manipulated our female client, welcoming her into her home and taking her on vacation all under the guise of acting as a surrogate mother,” Knuuttila said. “Once Clough gained this girl’s absolute trust, she began sexually exploiting her.”
According to Knuuttila, the alleged abuse continued even after the student left Tabor. She said Clough threatened to kill herself if the girl disclosed the abuse.
“The most insidious part of the abuse was the fact that Clough took our client into her fold and became like a surrogate mother,” Knuuttila said. “She gained our client’s trust and then brutally abused and betrayed her.”
Howard Cooper, an attorney for Clough, said in a statement that Clough “has denied all allegations and expects to be fully vindicated.”
Tabor Academy, a private boarding and day school in Marion, said it previously commissioned an external investigation into reports of historical sexual misconduct by an employee.
The school said a nationally recognized firm conducted the investigation, which focused on identifying and supporting members of the community who experienced sexual misconduct during their time at Tabor.
In 2022, Tabor shared a summary of the investigation’s findings with the school community. The school said former employees accused of misconduct were not identified in the summary in order to protect the identities of former students and witnesses who participated in the investigation.
“Tabor also advised its community that the school completed additional work to ensure a safe living and learning environment for all members of the community,” the school said.
The school encouraged anyone with information about employee misconduct or abuse to come forward so it can notify authorities, investigate as appropriate and provide support.
Clough’s case remains pending.
