Former Greenville ISD special ed aide accused of abusing student
Former Greenville ISD employee accused of abuse
Authorities in Hunt County arrested a former teacher's aide, charging her with hurting a special needs boy inside a classroom.
GREENVILLE, Texas - Authorities in Hunt County arrested a teacher's aide, charging her with hurting a special needs boy inside a classroom.
Lakenya Harris is charged with injury to a child. Authorities in Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas, say she repeatedly struck him during a struggle in a classroom.
Greenville Middle School employee arrest
Lakenya Dwynette Harris
What we know:
The district says the educator, seen grinning in her above mugshot, resigned.
The 53-year-old paraprofessional worked in a special needs classroom at Greenville Middle School. The victim was one of her students.
In an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by FOX 4, Greenville ISD police say a parent reached out last week because their "…non-verbal special education student, came home with bruising and scratches without explanation."
The officer asked what happened. The child, using sign language, gestured, "teacher."
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Police reviewed surveillance video from inside the classroom. Video allegedly showed Harris "open handed slapping" the child, cursing at him while "she forcefully attempted to pick [him] up by the arms, wrists and underarms, slapping him and placing her knee in his back."
Harris was arrested and booked into the Hunt County Jail Thursday.
Harris’ bond is $75,000. The district said it notified CPS and followed reporting guidelines.
‘Gross behavior’
What they're saying:
Kaitlyn Dickerson, whose sister is a student at the school, imagines how the victim’s family feels.
"That’s disgusting. That’s gross. Gross behavior. Shouldn’t be a teacher," said Dickerson.
"They’re horrified. That’s their baby. They’re sending them to protect them, trusting them with their kid all day," Dickerson went on.
While the victim was able to report the alleged abuse via sign language, some students suffer from even more restrictive impairments.
"Some special education children can’t properly communicate that," Dickerson said.
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"I don’t think there’s anything going on in a classroom that shouldn’t involve cameras," Dickerson said. "I mean, a reason that they shouldn’t be there, especially for situations like this."
In an email to FOX 4, Greenville ISD refers to Harris as a "former sped paraprofessional aide for two years."
A parent of a special needs student said it’s a difficult job to teach special-needs kids, but those who do must be all-in.
"She needs help probably, but I think that the Greenville ISD not only Greenville Middle School, the ISD, needs to step up."
"If you’re not prepared, I would think you should walk away," the parent went on.
The Source: Information in this story came from Hunt County, Greenville ISD, and Greenville residents involved with the school.