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Madison Anthony, a substitute teacher at Champion Elementary School, Florida, was arrested after allegedly striking a special needs student with a book on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
25-year-old Anthony was assigned to the ESE classroom (an exceptional student education classroom) and had been filling in for a month prior to the shocking incident. The students in this class need special attention and resources as they have learning and behavioral disabilities.
A charging affidavit obtained by ClickOrlando states that a school resources officer was approached by a staff member who witnessed Anthony hitting a child.
Madison Anthony was arrested and charged with one count of third-degree felony
According to the police report, the substitute teacher saw the student in question hit a peer with a book, to which the former responded:
"You hit her, I hit you.
Anthony then proceeded to seize the book from the special needs child and walked around the table in an effort to get closer to the student before striking them. She then cautioned the child:
"What you do to her, I'll do to you."
The victim's parents were promptly informed and decided to press charges of child abuse. Authorities also notified the state Department of Children and Families.
While interviewing law enforcement officers, Madison Anthony initially downplayed her involvement but later admitted to striking the child with a book. Following his arrest, Volusia County Schools released a statement that highlighted the importance of the safety and security of all students and staff.
It read:
"A secure and sound learning environment is crucial to our student’s success. It is our goal to always maintain this standard."
The statement further remarked that the Volusia County Schools had removed the substitute teacher from their list of approved substitutes and added that they would no longer employ Madison Anthony.
California Elementary School Principal Brian Vollhardt put on administrative leave after video of him pushing a special needs student goes viral.
This is not the first time a special needs student has faced abuse at the hands of their teachers.
In September 2022, Brian Vollhardt, a former principal of Wolters Elementary School in central California, was caught on camera shoving a special needs student onto the floor.
The viral footage showed the student pointing his finger at Vollhardt before walking away. He goes back and points his finger at the former principal aggravating him. In a statement, the school district explained that the conversation that transpired was not recorded.
They stated:
"Instead of de-escalating the situation, the former principal chose to aggressively shove the student down."
Although the incident does not seem to be racially motivated, the school district acknowledged the race of both the child and the former principal. They explained:
"A white principal aggressively shoving down a young African American boy is going to be triggering and potentially traumatizing (for the boy), especially for our African American community."
Madison Anthony was released from jail on Friday, January 27, 2023, prior to her pre-trial appearance. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
