By Rick Sobey
Boston Herald
(Boston Herald) — A teacher has been arrested after she allegedly slapped two students with autism, according to officials who called the allegations “a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators.”
Attleboro elementary school special education teacher Susan Martin was arrested on Monday, and charged with two counts of assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability.
The 57-year-old Kingston woman is accused of hitting the two 5-year-old students, who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
“I would like to provide an update on an ongoing and deeply troubling matter in which a teacher allegedly slapped two students in a classroom at Thacher Elementary School on Nov. 26,” Attleboro Public Schools Superintendent David Sawyer said in a statement on Monday.
After the alleged incident, Martin was placed on administrative leave, and Attleboro Public Schools began an internal investigation.
The district also notified the Attleboro Police Department and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
Multiple staff members at the school reportedly saw Martin physically assault students on two separate occasions that day.
She allegedly slapped one of the 5-year-olds in the face at about 11:55 a.m., and then she allegedly pushed and slapped another 5-year-old student at about 1 p.m.
Investigators learned that school administrators had asked Martin to leave the school after being placed on administrative leave several hours before reporting the incident to police.
Attleboro Police detectives then secured an arrest warrant through the Attleboro District Court for Martin for two counts of assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability.
Police couldn’t immediately arrest her after the issuance of the warrant because she left the state on a pre-planned vacation to Florida.
Then on Monday, Attleboro Police detectives located Martin at her residence in Kingston, where she was taken into custody without incident.
“The allegations represent a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators and the values we hold dear as a public school district,” the superintendent said. “I would like to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. We have taken this situation very seriously since it was brought to our attention, and we are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners in their ongoing investigation.”
“The Attleboro Public Schools have been cooperating fully with the Attleboro Police Department in its investigation and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of this case,” the superintendent added. “The District continues to support the affected students and their families during this difficult time.”
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