Skip to content
NOWCAST WLWT News 5 Today
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Cincinnati police investigating reports of substitute teacher assaulting fifth grader

Cincinnati police investigating reports of substitute teacher assaulting fifth grader
>> I THINK HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CALM DOWN THE CLASS AND HE WAS MAD, AND HE TOOK IT OUT ON ME. REPORTER: THIS ROLL HILL FIFTH GRADER, STILL RECOVERING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. HE SAYS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER WAS TRYING TO GET HIS CLASS TO CALM DOWN WHILE THEY WERE EATING BREAKFAST TUESDAY. >> HE GRABBED MY ARM, BUT HE WAS SQUEEZING MY ARM AND TOLD ME TO GO SIT DOWN REPORTER: HE SAYS THE SUB WAS YELLING AT STUDENTS AND GOT IN HIS FACE AT THE SAME HIM HIS HOMEROOM TEACHER SHOWED UP. REPORTER: HE SLAMMED MY HEAD TO THE WALL AND THAT’S WHEN THE TEACHER STEPPED BETWEEN US >> IF IT WASN’T FOR HER I DON’T EVEN THINK MITCHELL’S STORY WOULD EVEN BE HEARD BECAUSE IT WOULD BE HIS WORD AGAINST THEIR WORD REPORTER: THAT’S MITCHELL’S MOM JAMIE COLEMAN. THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL CALLED HER LATE TUESDAY MORNING. >> SHE STATED ’MRS. COLEMAN, I HAVE YOUR SON IN THE OFFICE. HE’S NOT IN ANY TROUBLE. MITCHELL SAID THAT HE TOOK HIS HAND LIKE AND MUGGED HIS FACE BACK LIKE THAT REPORTER: HE COMPLAINED OF HEAD AND NECK PAIN SO SHE TOOK HIM TO CHILDREN’S ER. SHE SAYS DOCTORS PUT HIM IN A NECK BRACE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK. CPD IS LEADING AN INVESTIGATION THAT COULD LEAD TO CRIMINAL CHARGES. CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELEASED A STATEMENT, SAYING IN PART, A STAFF MEMBER INTERVENED TO BREAK UP THE INCIDENT THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER WAS REMOVED FROM THE CLASSROOM, PENDING THE RESULTS OF AN INVESTIGATION WE TAKE THESE ALLEGATIONS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND ARE COOPERATING WITH CPD. >> HE NEEDED ME AND I COULDN’T EVEN BE THERE TO DEFEND HIM. AND JUST TO HEAR MY SON, IT’S LIKE HE CRIED FOR HELP AND ME AND HIS DAD WASN’T EVEN THERE TO PROTECT HIM. THE SCHOOL WASN’T EVEN ABLE TO PROTECT HIM REPORTER: I ASKED HOW SCARED HE WAS. >> ON A SCALE OF 1-10, I WAS AT LEAST 10 REPORTER: A SCHOOL NURSE CHECKED OUT MITCHELL AND SAID HE HAD NO VISIBLE INJURIES. CPS IS AWARE THAT HIS FAMILY TOOK HIM TO THE E.R. LATER THAT NIGHT. HE HAS A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK. AS FOR THE POLICE INVESTIGATION, IT IS ONGOING AND NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED YET. REPORTING LIVE, JATARA MCGEE WLWT NEWS
Advertisement
Cincinnati police investigating reports of substitute teacher assaulting fifth grader
Cincinnati police are investigating after a young student was injured at Roll Hill School Tuesday. Police are investigating allegations that a substitute teacher assaulted a fifth-grade boy. The boy's family said it happened around breakfast time at the school and that the student's homeroom teacher witnessed the incident and stepped in to help. Cincinnati police tell WLWT the school called the school resource officer, who was not on campus at the time, to investigate after the incident.According to the boy's mom, the child, who WLWT is only identifying by his first name Mitchell, is wearing a neck brace and has a follow-up appointment with a doctor next week. "I think he didn't know how to calm down the class and he was mad, and he took it out on me," the student said. "He grabbed my arm, but he was squeezing my arm and told me to go sit down. He slammed my head to the wall and that's when the teacher stepped between us."There, Mitchell is referring to his homeroom teacher who he said stopped the altercation and got the principal involved. "If it wasn't for her, I don't even think Mitchell's story would even be heard because it would be his word against their word," said Jamie Coleman, Mitchell's mother.Coleman got a call from the school principal late Tuesday morning."She stated 'Mrs. Coleman, I have your son in the office. He's not in any trouble.' She said 'but I just wanted to let you know that he was mugged by a teacher.' And I was like 'mugged?'" Coleman said. "And she said 'yes, he was mugged by a teacher, and another teacher had to step in to intervene.'"When she asked her son what exactly happened, he explained the teacher grabbed his face with an open hand and hit his head into the wall. Coleman said her son complained of head and neck pain at home so she took him to Children's emergency room. His X-rays showed no broken bones, but Coleman said doctors advised him to wear a neck brace for at least the next week until his follow up appointment.A spokeswoman for Cincinnati Public Schools said the substitute teacher is not teaching while police investigate. The district released the following statement to WLWT: "On Tuesday, Cincinnati Public Schools received a report that a substitute teacher was involved in a physical altercation with a student at Roll Hill School. A staff member intervened to break up the incident. The student was examined by the nurse and there were no apparent injuries requiring medical attention. CPS informed the parent about the incident and reported it to the Cincinnati Police Department. The substitute teacher was removed from the classroom, pending the results of an investigation. CPS learned today the parent took their child for an additional medical evaluation. We take these allegations very seriously, and are cooperating with CPD during their investigation."The police investigation is ongoing. So far no charges have been filed.

Cincinnati police are investigating after a young student was injured at Roll Hill School Tuesday.

Police are investigating allegations that a substitute teacher assaulted a fifth-grade boy. The boy's family said it happened around breakfast time at the school and that the student's homeroom teacher witnessed the incident and stepped in to help.

Advertisement

Cincinnati police tell WLWT the school called the school resource officer, who was not on campus at the time, to investigate after the incident.

According to the boy's mom, the child, who WLWT is only identifying by his first name Mitchell, is wearing a neck brace and has a follow-up appointment with a doctor next week.

"I think he didn't know how to calm down the class and he was mad, and he took it out on me," the student said. "He grabbed my arm, but he was squeezing my arm and told me to go sit down. He slammed my head to the wall and that's when the teacher stepped between us."

There, Mitchell is referring to his homeroom teacher who he said stopped the altercation and got the principal involved.

"If it wasn't for her, I don't even think Mitchell's story would even be heard because it would be his word against their word," said Jamie Coleman, Mitchell's mother.

Coleman got a call from the school principal late Tuesday morning.

"She stated 'Mrs. Coleman, I have your son in the office. He's not in any trouble.' She said 'but I just wanted to let you know that he was mugged by a teacher.' And I was like 'mugged?'" Coleman said. "And she said 'yes, he was mugged by a teacher, and another teacher had to step in to intervene.'"

When she asked her son what exactly happened, he explained the teacher grabbed his face with an open hand and hit his head into the wall.

Coleman said her son complained of head and neck pain at home so she took him to Children's emergency room. His X-rays showed no broken bones, but Coleman said doctors advised him to wear a neck brace for at least the next week until his follow up appointment.

A spokeswoman for Cincinnati Public Schools said the substitute teacher is not teaching while police investigate.

The district released the following statement to WLWT: "On Tuesday, Cincinnati Public Schools received a report that a substitute teacher was involved in a physical altercation with a student at Roll Hill School. A staff member intervened to break up the incident. The student was examined by the nurse and there were no apparent injuries requiring medical attention. CPS informed the parent about the incident and reported it to the Cincinnati Police Department. The substitute teacher was removed from the classroom, pending the results of an investigation. CPS learned today the parent took their child for an additional medical evaluation. We take these allegations very seriously, and are cooperating with CPD during their investigation."

The police investigation is ongoing. So far no charges have been filed.