Teacher drags 5-year-old across concrete after not throwing fork away, Texas cops say
An elementary school teacher dragged a 5-year-old student across concrete when she didn’t want to throw a fork away, according to authorities in Texas.
The 44-year-old teacher was recorded on video as she did so. She is employed by Houston Independent School District at Katherine Smith Elementary.
Video surveillance captured the teacher grabbing the girl by her hair and left arm, which caused the child to lose her balance and fall to the ground at about 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, according to a complaint filed in Harris County.
The teacher was then seen dragging the 5-year-old student across the concrete, stopping once the girl was between her legs, police said. The teacher looked as though she were standing over the student sitting on the floor.
Authorities said the teacher then pulled the student “in an upward motion by her arm” before dragging the girl by her left arm along the concrete. She continued for about 30 feet, until they reached a trash can.
The student complained of arm pain, and a witness noticed her left arm was bright red with a small cut, according to court records. Authorities have photographs of an abrasion on her arm.
A Houston ISD police officer responded to the “assault” call and said they spoke to the witness.
The witness reported the teacher dragged the student because the child didn’t want to throw a fork away into a trash can, police said. The teacher was heard talking to the student in Spanish, which was translated in English to “you’re going to throw it away, don’t be spoiled.”
Her behavior was described as “irrational and out of control.”
Houston ISD did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Nov. 11, but a district spokesperson provided the following statement to KHOU:
“HISD takes these situations very seriously, and the safety and well-being of our students is always our absolute top priority. HISD PD was notified of an allegation of misconduct and the educator was immediately reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation. Due to the Family Education Right’s Privacy Act (FERPA) and the pending investigation, HISD will not be providing additional information at this time.”
The child’s mom told police she wanted to press charges against the teacher, authorities said.
The teacher faces a felony charge of injury to a child, according to court records filed on Nov. 8. Authorities have issued a warrant.
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