School deems teacher 'forcefully slamming' the head of an 8-year-old student with autism to the floor as 'de-escalation,' cops say

A Florida teacher is accused of "forcefully slamming" an 8-year-old pupil with autism to the level though helium showed nary aggression toward her.

Nikol Marie Rodriguez, 29, is facing 1 number of child abuse without large bodily harm. According to a probable origin apprehension affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, the incidental occurred connected March 3 astatine Peace Christian Academy successful Hialeah.

Rodriguez has been overseeing the pupil astatine the schoolhouse since the opening of the 2024 schoolhouse year. The pupil is capable to comprehend elemental instructions but has occupation articulating his needs, cops said. The incidental was captured connected surveillance camera which cops acquired aft issuing a subpoena.

According to the complaint, the teacher was with the unfortunate and 2 different students successful a classroom. The unfortunate was sitting connected the level and not facing successful the close absorption truthful Rodriguez spun him successful an "aggressive manner," cops wrote. A fewer minutes aboriginal the pupil moved to a legume container and sat down.

"While the CCTV did not supply audio, the unfortunate was not successful immoderate mode displaying physically threatening behavior," cops wrote. "The unfortunate was simply sitting successful place."

Rodriguez went down the lad and allegedly pulled his hands down his back. The lad tried to flight the teacher's grasp and appeared to beryllium "in agony," cops said. Rodriguez began struggling with the unfortunate and was allegedly "seen forcefully slamming the victim's precocious assemblage and caput onto the schoolroom floor."

She besides "forcefully pressed" the lad into a supine presumption arsenic helium was kicking his legs, cops wrote. The suspect past allegedly pinned the student's limb to the crushed with her leg. Eventually, Rodriguez fto the unfortunate spell but allegedly shoved him into the array erstwhile helium tried to get up.

The boy's parent noticed injuries erstwhile she was giving him a bath. He allegedly had a tiny puncture coiled connected his close bicep arsenic good arsenic "finger bruise marks" connected his near limb and scratches connected his chest.

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An interior study by the schoolhouse which cops obtained said Rodriguez was utilizing "supportive de-escalation procedures" due to the fact that of the boy's "escalating behavior," according to the complaint.

Rodriguez's lawyer struck the aforesaid code astatine her enslaved hearing.

"It is simply a kid that was acting out, and she was successful the process of restraining [the child]," helium said, according to section ABC affiliate WPLG.

Cops arrested Rodriguez connected Thursday and took her to jail, wherever she has since posted a $5,000 bond. Her adjacent tribunal day is not yet listed.