A Florida middle school teacher has been arrested on a child abuse charge after deputies say she ordered a student to slap a classmate who would not stop talking during class.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office says 64-year-old Judith Clark, a sixth-grade teacher at Lee Middle School in Bradenton, became frustrated on May 13 when a male student continued talking to friends despite repeated warnings to be quiet.
According to an arrest affidavit, Clark then asked the class, "Who wants to slap him?" prompting laughter from some students, according to People.
Investigators say Clark told two students to close the classroom blinds before directing another student to hit the boy. Deputies say the student followed her instructions and slapped the victim across the face with an open hand while the rest of the class watched.
The victim later reported the incident to a school resource deputy, who notified child protection investigators and the sheriff's office. Authorities say the boy was not seriously injured and did not require medical treatment, but the incident was classified as child abuse without great bodily harm under Florida law, Fox13 News reported.
Clark was arrested without incident on May 19 and booked into the Manatee County Jail on one count of child abuse without great bodily harm. Jail records cited in local reports show she was released after posting a $7,500 bond and is barred from contacting the victim or any person under 18 while the case is pending.
The Manatee County School District said Clark has been removed from the classroom while the criminal case and an internal investigation move forward. District officials said they are cooperating with law enforcement and that student safety and proper classroom conduct are their top priorities.
Deputies are continuing to interview students who were in the classroom to corroborate the sequence of events and determine whether any additional disciplinary or criminal actions are warranted. As of Thursday, no court date had been publicly announced, and Clark had not entered a plea in the case, as per TampaBay28.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
