A Florida teacher was arrested on child abuse charges for allegedly forcefully grabbing the arm of a nonverbal 3-year-old student and discarding his lunch, leaving him in tears while his classmates ate.
Special education teacher Tonya Gainey, 57, was caught on surveillance video striking the child at the Wise Center in DeFuniak Springs during lunchtime, throwing away his food, and neglecting him, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities mentioned that the student, who is nonverbal, was seen on camera “crying and in pain.”
“Our agency worked diligently to assess the full scope of the situation,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement.
“Her behavior is unacceptable, and the charges reflect that.”
School officials were made aware of the incident the next day, leading to an investigation by the Department of Children and Families.
Efforts to remove Gainey from the premises were met with resistance as she refused to leave when instructed not to have contact with students during the investigation.
She had to be escorted off the property by a school resource officer.
The distressed teacher submitted her resignation via email amid the commotion, as officials grappled with the situation.
The motive behind
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