Aldine Independent School District has removed a substitute teacher and referred charges to the district attorney’s office following a student’s claim she was slapped in class at Lewis Middle School.
Sixth grader Kheristian Hutchinson, 12, says the incident occurred in class last week and began when she arrived late.
According to Hutchinson, the substitute teacher became upset when she walked in and immediately told her to leave the classroom. She refused and instead returned to her desk. After she sat down, Hutchinson claims the teacher confronted her by putting a pen in her face. She said she slapped the pen away, which led the teacher to retrieve it and then return to slap her across the face.
Hutchinson says she burst into tears and screamed so loudly that a passing administrator heard the commotion from outside and entered the classroom to intervene. Her mother later arrived at the school to verify what had happened. The following day, she also met with Aldine ISD Police.
Aldine ISD has released the following statement in response to the incident:
Aldine ISD does not tolerate misconduct from our teachers or staff. As such, Lewis Middle School campus administrators took immediate action when an incident occurred between a substitute teacher and a Lewis Middle School student. The Aldine Police Department was contacted immediately, which began an investigation. The substitute teacher was removed from the campus and will not be permitted on Aldine ISD properties. Based on the Aldine PD investigation, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted criminal charges against the substitute teacher. The district takes these situations seriously, as the safety of our students is always our top priority.
The school district has not released the name of the substitute teacher, and as a result, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has been unable to confirm records specific to the individual. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has confirmed it is aware of the incident.
