VIDEO: Colorado - Six-Year-Old Sent to Principal's Office Gets Mouth Taped Shut

October 28, 2009

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/28/crimesider/entry5272062.shtml

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DENVER (CBS4) Denver school administrators say the district plans to fire a staffer accused of duct taping a student's mouth and wrists.

Jennifer Carter, 45, was arrested on Monday on charges of misdemeanor child abuse and false imprisonment.

Palmer Elementary first grader, Joshua, was allegedly duct taped by Carter on Wednesday after being sent to the principal's office.

Joshua,6, told CBS Affiliate CBS4 he was sent to the principal's office on Wednesday when a substitute teacher said he was disrupting his first grade class.

"The secretary taped my mouth shut and taped my wrists together," he said, referring to the principal's secretary.

The principal, Elizabeth Trujillo, sent a letter home with all students on Thursday. It stated the Denver Public Schools and Denver police would "... investigate any allegation of misconduct" and that "... be assured the safety of students is a top priority."

Ashlye Tenner, Joshua's mom, said the principal is acting as a witness.

"She said she came back from lunch duty, saw the tape on his face and told the secretary to take it off and not to do it again. And she said she apologized to my son," said Tenner.

Late Monday evening, Denver Public Schools released this statement:

"Based on the evidence confirmed at this stage, the district is taking action to immediately terminate the employee. This is a deeply troubling incident, and this type of conduct is completely reprehensible and inexcusable."

Joshua has not been back in school, and his mom plans to enroll him in a new school.

A jail official said a bond amount for Carter had not been set, according to the Associated Press.

CO: School secretary arrested for allegedly duct-taping child

KDVR Denver

3:56 PM MDT, October 26, 2009

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-ducttaped-102609,0,2122139.story

DENVER - Denver Police have arrested a Palmer Elementary School secretary for allegedly duct-taping the mouth and hands of a 6-year-old student last week.

Jennifer Carter, 44, faces charges of Child Abuse and False Imprisonment, both misdemeanors

On Thursday, October 22, police received a report that 6-year-old Joshua Tenner had been duct taped at the school as punishment for being "too rowdy."

"I went to the school Wednesday to pick up Joshua and he came running down the hall to me in tears," the boy's mom, Ashlye Tenner, told FOX 31 after the incident.

"I couldn't believe what he was telling me so I went to ask the Principal what had happened. She told me when she came back from out door recess, she saw tape on his hands and mouth and she ordered it taken off."

Tenner says no one from the school ever called her to tell her about the 'punishment.' She had to learn about the issue from her son.

Tenner says her son's normal first grade teacher was on medical leave and so Josh's class had a series of substitute teachers last week. She thinks that is why some of the kids have been a bit rowdy.

"We will take strong action to address the matter if the allegations are substantiated," Denver Public Schools said in a press release last week.

GA: Two Cherokee Co. Educators Charged With Cruelty to Children

Posted By: Marcita Thomas
Posted By: Paul Crawley
Updated 5/18/2009 7:25:27 PM

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=130354&catid=40

WOODSTOCK, Ga. -- Woodstock High School special education teacher Laurie Peavy had nothing to say as she left the Cherokee County Jail Monday afternoon with a sweat shirt draped over her head and got into a car with a friend.

Peavy, 44, had just regained her freedom under a $60,000 bond after being arrested Monday morning on two counts each of false imprisonment and child cruelty.

She's accused of duct taping a 17-year-old autistic boy to a chair in her classroom last year and forcing a 17-year-old blind girl to stay under her desk, both apparently as punishment.

Her classroom paraprofessional, Nancy Creek, 49, was also arrested for allegedly participating in the boy's duct taping.

Cherokee County's Sheriff says they began investigating the case one week ago after another special education teacher and parapro team at Woodstock High reported the incidents.

The second pair of apparently came forward after learning that the same students were about to be reassigned to Peavy's classroom.

Sheriff Roger Garrison said the second pair were bound by law to have reported the alleged abuses when they happened last year, but he said they will not face criminal charges since they are needed to testify against Peavy and Cheek.

However, Cherokee County School system spokesman Mike McGowan said the second pair of teachers could still face possible disciplinary action for not coming forward sooner.

McGowan also said Peavy and Cheek will probably lose their jobs after an internal administrative investigation by the school system.

"We're obviously, as a school district, extremely disappointed that these allegations came to light," McGowan said, "especially in a district that is annually awarded for meeting and exceeding state targets in special education."

He said Peavy joined the Cherokee County School System in the fall of 1997, teaching first at Cherokee High and then Woodstock High, and that Cheek joined in the fall of 2001.

At last word, Cheek was still waiting to bond out of jail. Late Monday a magistrate judge reduced her original bond of $30,000 down to $22,000.

TN: Metro teacher suspended for taping child's mouth shut

By JAIME SARRIO • The Tennessean • February 11, 2009
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090211/NEWS0401/90211025

A third-grade Metro Nashville teacher is on paid leave after he confessed to taping several students' mouths shut and taping another student to a chair.

Kevin Ray, a teacher at Park Avenue Elementary, was suspended Feb. 6 after he reported the incident to the principal, said June Keel, head of human resources for Metro Schools. Ray could not immediately be reached for comment.

Keel said Ray reported the incident after realizing it was not an appropriate form of discipline. He allegedly taped the students with packaging tape after they would not quit talking and taped one little girl to the chair while she took a test.

District officials are investigating the case and said they expect to have a decision on Ray's punishment by the end of the week.

This is Ray’s first year teaching in Metro Schools. Park Avenue is located in North Nashville and has an enrollment of about 228 students.

Principal Deltina Braden declined to comment.

Contact Jaime Sarrio at 615-726-5964 or jsarrio@tennessean.com