Georgia teacher makes 5-year-old special needs student sit in his own feces for two hours to 'prove a point' after he soiled himself
ACWORTH, GEORGIA: A Georgia teacher has been arrested and charged after she forced a five-year-old special needs child to sit in his feces for hours to 'prove a point' after he soiled his pants.
Kelly Lewis, 56, of Acworth, a special education teacher in the Cobb County School District, made the young boy stay in his soiled pants for around two hours between 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm at Frey Elementary School on November 21, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Marietta Daily Journal.
"According to witness statements the accused acted with intent when she said that she was 'going to prove a point' by having the said child remain in his soiled clothing to teach him a lesson about restroom habits," the warrant reads.
It added that the boy suffered "redness and irritation to his buttocks" as well as mental agony as a result of the teacher's actions.
In a written statement, Cobb County District spokeswoman Nan Kiel confirmed that the school district was aware that "a staff member may not have provided the high level of care for a student that Cobb Schools requires".
She said that parents had been notified of the incident and that the staff member was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Kiel declined to provide further details on the incident citing state and federal privacy laws but said the district was committed to "ensuring that our students have a safe and supportive environment so they can achieve success".
Lewis was subsequently charged with one felony count of cruelty to children in the second degree in connection to the incident. She was booked into Cobb County jail on December 4 but was released after spending four hours in custody on a $5,000 bond.
Under the terms of her release, she is not allowed to return to Frey Elementary, and she is not allowed to have contact with anyone under 16 years of age, according to CBS46.