'Who wants to slap him?': Middle school teacher encouraged 12-year-old student to hit chatty classmate, cops say

A mediate schoolhouse teacher successful Florida — seemingly frustrated with a misbehaving pupil — repeatedly asked students "who wants to slap him," which resulted successful a kid striking the boy, according to cops.

Judith Clark, 64, stands accused of child abuse without large bodily harm. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said successful a property merchandise that the incidental occurred connected May 13 astatine Lee Middle School successful Bradenton.

School officials learned of the incidental the pursuing time and deputies began interviewing students astir what allegedly occurred. Per cops, Clark repeatedly asked the unfortunate to halt talking during acquisition successful the sixth-grade classroom. Apparently fed up with the boy, she allegedly asked the people "who wants to slap him?" No 1 volunteered, and the lad started talking again, cops said.

The teacher past asked the people the aforesaid question, according to police.

"After receiving nary response, Clark instructed 2 students to adjacent the schoolroom model blinds and past directed different pupil to onslaught the victim," deputies wrote. "According to witnesses, the pupil complied and mildly slapped the unfortunate crossed the look with an unfastened hand."

The lad who slapped his classmate told deputies helium felt compelled to bash truthful and was "afraid" of disobeying Clark, according to cops. He volition not look immoderate discipline.

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The Manatee County School District released the pursuing connection to local NBC affiliate WFLA:

This incidental is profoundly concerning and does not bespeak the standards oregon expectations we person for our employees. This apprehension follows a collaborative probe involving the School District, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, and Child Protective Services. The District contacted the Department of Children and Families aft receiving accusation connected May 14, 2026.

The information and well-being of our students stay our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, positive, and supportive learning situation for each students, and the actions described successful this lawsuit are not aligned with that committedness we uphold successful our schools.

We volition proceed to enactment intimately with our instrumentality enforcement partners, instrumentality each due steps to guarantee accountability, and support our schoolhouse assemblage informed.

The idiosyncratic began employment with the School District successful 2019 and worked astatine Lee Middle School during that time. She was non-renewed connected April 8, 2026, with the past scheduled time of employment connected May 29, 2026.

School officials removed Clark during the investigation. Investigators obtained an apprehension warrant for Clark connected Tuesday and took her to the Manatee County Jail. She has since posted a $7,500 bond. Her adjacent tribunal day was not instantly listed.