A mother is outraged after a Washington, DC, school teacher accused of using corporal punishment struck her daughter for taking too long to wash her hands.
The woman’s daughter is a 14-year-old eighth-grade student at Sousa Middle School, who alleged that her teacher struck her with a yardstick on May 13.
Janel Doy Johnson, the mother of the teen girl, told FOX 5 she was washing her hands after a science project, and when the bell rang at 3:15 p.m., the unnamed teacher struck her bottom with the stick, telling her to hurry up.
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The girl also claimed that another student gave the teacher a brush to give to her, yet, her teacher rather put it in his pocket.
The teen girl alleged that her teacher did that so she would reach into his pocket and grab the brush.
Moments after, the daughter of the outraged mother reported the incident to her school counselor, and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) launched an investigation to see whether the teen girl was struck by the teacher.
‘[I’m] devastated, hurt, furious and kind of scared. I wanted to press charges, for one, and get a report,’ Johnson told the local news station.
‘So I can have something done and justice done for what he’s doing to these children in the school.’
A copy of the police report obtained by Mail Online showed the teacher justified his action by revealing that all he aimed for was to move her along.
‘An 8th-grade student stated that while she was washing her hands at the sink in lab class, her teacher touched her on her left leg and thigh area with a 36-inch ruler,’ the report said.
‘[The teacher] stated that he did it for her to hurry her along to leave the classroom for the day.’
Sousa Middle School principal Brittany Green-Pascal sent a letter to the parents of the teen girl, confirming that investigations were underway.
‘I am writing to make you aware that an allegation of corporal punishment has recently been made against a Sousa staff member,’ the letter said. ‘DCPS treats any allegation of employee misconduct with the greatest importance.’
Green-Pascal stated that the unnamed teacher is on leave for now and won’t be returning to the school until the investigation is complete.
The teen girl’s outraged mother has taken to social media, calling for accountability from the school.
‘I’m a heartbroken and outraged mother. My daughter and several other young girls at her school have come forward with serious accusations of being inappropriately touched by a staff member. I am demanding answers, action, and safety for our children,’ Johnson said.
‘What happened at the school was not “discipline.” Let’s be clear—this was sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by a trusted adult.’
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‘My daughter is a well-mannered, respectful child who knows right from wrong, and she bravely spoke up when something didn’t feel right. I will not allow this to be downplayed or dismissed as anything less than what it was. No child deserves to be made to feel unsafe at school. Our kids should be protected, not silenced.’
