A special needs teacher in Polk County is accused of hitting a disabled student.
- Pamela Ann Murphy, 59, charged with child abuse
- Alleged incidents occurred at Jean O'Dell Learning Center
Bartow police said the incident happened last week at the Jean O'Dell Learning Center.
The school resource officer was informed of a child abuse incident in which Pamela Ann Murphy, 59, allegedly struck a disabled student in the face.
The student, who is 7 years old, became upset and began kicking his feet toward Murphy. A witness said she observed Murphy “strike the child on the face with an open hand,” according to a news release.
During the investigation, police learned of another incident where Murphy called another child names and poured water over her head.
This is not the first time Murphy has faced discipline for rough handling of children. District records show in 2001, while she was employed as a substitute paraprofessional, Murphy tried to stop a child from talking in a lunch line by yanking the child by the arm to move the child to the rear of the line.
Murphy's actions resulted in injuries to the child's neck and back, according to the parents. The school subsequently refused to rehire Murphy as a substitute at the school.
Later, in 2010 while employed at Medulla Elementary, Murphy struck a fourth-grade ESE student who refused to remove the hood from his head. When she tried to remove the hood herself and the student held on to it with his hands, she struck his hands. Murphy was suspended for one day for her actions.
Click here to read the public records regarding those prior incidents.
"In each instance, she was disciplined -- although in my opinion, not to the extent she should have been," Polk County Schools superintendent Jacqueline Byrd said in a statement. "This employee has been placed on leave so that we can conduct a thorough internal investigation. Once the investigation is complete, if these allegations are true, I will use the full authority of my position in disciplining this employee - up to and including termination."
Murphy has been charged with two counts of child abuse. She was to appear in court Tuesday.