IOWA CITY, Iowa - The director of Iowa City’s Broadway Neighborhood Center has been arrested on suspicion of not reporting allegations that a teacher in her center’s program had sexually assaulted a girl under age 12.

And officials with the Iowa Department of Human Services say this is the first case in the state’s recent history – maybe ever – involving the prosecution of a mandatory reporter for not reporting.

“I have never heard of one, and all our current administrators cannot remember another case,” said Roger Munns, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Human Services. “It’s very rare.”

Susan Freeman-Murdah, 44, of Iowa City, was arrested about 5 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of failing to report child abuse, a simple misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $300.

According to a criminal complaint, Freeman-Murdah, through her work as director of the Broadway Neighborhood Center, is responsible for overseeing the Headstart Program located in the center, 2105 Broadway St.

The lead teacher for the Headstart Program informed Freeman-Murdah that the mother of a child under age 12 reported a suspicion that her daughter had been the victim of a sexual assault, and she suspected the perpetrator was a Headstart instructor, according to the complaint.

The mother met with Freeman-Murdah, according to the compliant, and told her she believes a teacher has inappropriately touched her daughter, rising to the level of abuse. The mother told Freeman-Murdah that the child consistently named the teacher as the perpetrator, and the mother observed injuries to her daughter, according to the complaint.

Freeman-Murdah, according to police, conducted her own investigation and did not call police of the Department of Human Services, as required by Iowa Code.

The mother, on Dec. 12, reported the incident to Iowa City police, which then reported the allegations to the Department of Human Services.

Iowa City police and the Department of Human Services are conducting a joint investigation into the sexual abuse allegations, according to Sgt. Denise Brotherton. When contacted by police, Freeman-Murdah told investigators that the mother has no history of lying and was not in conflict with the Broadway Neighborhood Center at the time of her report.

Brotherton said waiting to report abuse allegations, or failing to report them altogether, can hurt an investigation and keep police from filing charges in the end.

“It is so imperative that mandatory reporters report immediately, regardless of their opinion of the case,” Brotherton said. “It is so imperative that it gets done right away, so there is no valuable evidence that gets lost or suspects that leave.”

Freeman-Murdah left the Johnson County Jail soon after her arrest. She has not returned a call from the Gazette. Brian Loring, executive director of the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, also did not immediately return a call from the Gazette.

Munns said reports of suspected child abuse have risen since Jerry Sandusky, former assistant football coach for Penn State University, was arrested last year on suspicion of sexually assaulting boys, and several university officials were arrested or reprimanded for not reporting what they knew about the allegations at the time. Munns said public awareness around that case could be behind this rare Iowa prosecution of a mandatory reporter.

“Now that we’ve heard this horror story out of Penn State, people might be quicker to report,” he said. “We’ve seen a bump in the number of calls.”