FL: Elementary school behavior technician fired in Fort Pierce

Special Note: From August 2007; yet ANOTHER incident in Florida...

Elementary school behavior technician fired in Fort Pierce
By Keona Gardner (Contact)
Friday, August 31, 2007

FORT PIERCE — A Garden City Elementary School aide, who allegedly broke the arm of a special education student early this year, is no longer on the district's payroll.

Earlier this week, district officials fired Shalonda Smith, who worked as a behavior technician, for using inappropriate discipline.

No criminal charges will be filed against Smith, according to school district records.

The incident took place Feb. 15, when an 8-year-old male bipolar and autistic student became disorderly and tried to run out of the classroom.

Smith, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, restrained the student by "grabbing his arm and taking him to the ground so that he was laying face-down on the floor," according to district records.

After the incident, the student later told his classroom teacher and his bus driver that his arm hurt. And after learning about the incident, district officials reassigned Smith to where she would have no contact with students. Later, she was suspended and has not worked with children since the incident.

In a 2005 evaluation, Smith received perfect marks in areas that included job knowledge and self management, personnel records show.

She started as a special education aide in fall 2000 at Mariposa Elementary in Port St. Lucie and transferred to Garden City in 2004. Smith told the school district her previous work experience included cashier work at Kmart and Toys "R" Us, and a dining room manager position at Captain D's restaurant.