Mother accuses Jacksonville ISD teacher of abusing 7-year-old

JACKSONVILLE, Texas ( KETK ) – An investigation is open into allegations of a teacher injuring a student by the Jacksonville Independent School District.

“I would have never expected that to happen at school by a teacher,” said Ashelle Whitaker, mother.

Concerned parent Ashelle Whitaker said her 7-year-old son was hurt by his second grade teacher.

“I see him coming down the hallway with a bloody tissue up to his mouth and his eyes swollen, him crying his eyes out, snot rolling down,” said Whitaker.

Whitaker said physical marks and his reaction were telling that something happened.

“He said [the teacher] took me into the room alone, and she repeatedly pushed me up against the wall and I could not breathe,” said Whitaker.

Whitaker was heartbroken and she immediately called 911, filed a report with CPS, the school’s resource officer spoke with the Smith County Advocacy Center.

“It was literally by the grace of God, I had to go to work early that day, and by me going to work early, I found out that this is what was going on, this is what was happening,” said Whitaker.

The Jacksonville ISD Police Department confirmed the mother did raise concerns and that they are interviewing everyone involved.

“Considering that these are the people that I entrust with my child’s education, being a professional. A place of schooling, you would think that they would have a certain criteria that they would go by on how to deal with children with ADHD,” said Whitaker.

Ultimately, Whitaker made the choice to remove her son from the campus for his safety, and her peace of mind.

“It’s very unfortunate what happened to my son, but my son isn’t the only one. There are plenty of children and parents with the same story, if not worse,” said Whitaker.

Whitaker is also pushing for cameras to be installed inside behavioral classrooms.

She said they could help in incidents like these and provide definite proof of what’s happening.

The district said in a statement:

“Upon receiving a report from a parent claiming her child was injured while under the care of a school staff member, JISD initiated an investigation into the incident to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved. In accordance with our commitment to transparency and accountability, the employee allegedly involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. JISD recognizes the seriousness of these allegations and is fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. As always, the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority”.

Jacksonville ISD

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