Covington school employee accused of harming student

A paraprofessional at a Covington elementary school is facing child cruelty charges after an incident that authorities say involved a student.

Covington police arrested Monica Bates following an investigating into the allegations.

According to Covington Police Detective Cyrus Kety, the incident happened last week at E. E. Lyon Elementary School during school hours. Kety says Bates was supervising the student when the incident happened. Kety declined to provide more information about the incident, citing privacy issues.

Bates has since been fired from her job.

“This type of alleged behavior will not be tolerated," St. Tammany Parish Public School Superintendent Frank Jabbia said in a statement. “The safety of our students is always our top priority and we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for all students.”