Police say Louisiana teacher knew husband beat foster kids
ASCENSION PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) — A teacher from Ascension Parish and her husband were charged after school officials contacted police about suspected abuse.
The Gonzales Police Department said officers were called to Central Elementary School after school administrators suspected two of their students were beaten by their foster parents, according to arrest documents.
Police identified the foster parents as Michelle Degroat, 52, and Frank Degroat, 42, both of Gonzales. Ascension Public Schools confirmed that Michelle was a teacher at Central Middle School.
According to an affidavit, investigators learned that one student had been “whipped by a paint stick the night prior by her foster father Frank.” Police said school administrators provided photos of injuries.
Ascension Parish middle school teacher, husband arrested on cruelty charges
“Additionally, it was learned that Frank had withheld the children’s food and forced them to take cold showers as punishment for their behavior,” the affidavit said.
Detectives with the police department interviewed Michelle and according to the affidavit, “determined that she had been aware of the incident and had taken the paint stick out of her vehicle to give to Frank to commit the act.”
In a call with police, Frank allegedly told detectives she did know about the incident and “tried to stop” him. According to the affidavit, Michelle originally told detectives that she was not aware of how severe the whipping had been and that she had not seen any marks.
Police said because of Frank’s call to the police, they believed “that this was not the case” and that Michelle had sent one of the children to school knowing they were injured.
Michelle was charged with principal to cruelty to juveniles and Frank was charged with cruelty to juveniles.
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