Christian School Teacher Accused Of ‘forcefully Slamming’ Special Needs Students, Police Say

A coach astatine a Florida Christian schoolhouse has been accused of "forcefully slamming" a student pinch special needs aggregate times, according to police.

Nikol Marie Rodriguez, 29, of Miramar was arrested connected Thursday. She was allegedly caught connected schoolroom surveillance video slamming a student pinch typical needs astatine Peace Christian Academy successful Hialeah.

Police said nan incidents occurred connected March 4, according to Local 10.

The kid was 8 years aged astatine nan clip of nan incident and has been diagnosed pinch autism and ADHD. The boy is "able to comprehend elemental instructions, but has trouble articulating much than a elemental request," according to police.

The boy lives pinch his mother and is not known to beryllium violent, constabulary said.

An incident report, seen by Local10, notes that Rodriguez had been nan boy's superior pedagogue since August 2024 and was responsible for his “care, supervision, and services basal for nan child’s beingness and intelligence health.”

Surveillance video from nan schoolroom allegedly shows an relationship betwixt Rodriguez and nan boy conscionable earlier 11 americium connected March 4, during which nan coach “appears to physically assistance nan unfortunate by grabbing clasp of nan victim’s near arm” and past “grabbing nan victim’s correct limb and bicep area, spinning nan unfortunate successful an fierce manner.”

Later, astir 12:45 pm, nan footage allegedly shows nan boy sitting connected nan floor, "not successful immoderate measurement displaying physically threatening behavior."

Despite this, nan incident study claims that Rodriguez restrained nan boy by pulling his arms down his back, causing nan boy to struggle against nan teacher. Police said nan boy appeared "to beryllium successful agony," and noted a adjacent student reacted by covering his eyes and ears, Local10 reports.

Rodriguez past allegedly was seen “forcefully slamming nan victim’s precocious assemblage and caput onto nan schoolroom floor” and further restraining nan boy by pinning his arms.

After nan struggle, Rodriguez besides allegedly shoved nan boy into a array arsenic he was trying to guidelines up.

Police said that Rodriguez did not supply attraction for nan boy aft nan incident and did not activity aesculapian assistance.

The boy's mother reportedly recovered bruises and scratches connected his thorax and arm, arsenic good arsenic a "small puncture wound" connected his bicep.

In an soul report, schoolhouse described Rodriguez's actions arsenic “supportive de-escalation” intended to forestall nan kid from causing harm and said that nan coach was trying to "provide beingness support" by restraining nan child, according to Local 10.

Rodriguez declined to supply a connection to constabulary done her attorney, nan outlet added.

She has been charged pinch 1 count of kid maltreatment without awesome bodily harm.

Rodriguez is being represented by Christopher Pracitto. He has requested that her enslaved beryllium lowered, but nan petition was denied.

She posted a $5,000 enslaved connected Saturday and has been ordered to enactment distant from nan child.

The Independent has requested remark from nan schoolhouse and from Rodriguez's defense attorney.