Teacher Put on Leave After Telling About Violent 7-Year-Old Student

Elaine Brown informed sheriff when other students felt threatened.

ByABC News
January 18, 2011, 5:01 PM

Jan. 19, 2011 — -- Second-grade teacher Elaine Brown was put on paid leave after warning the local sheriff that one of her seven-year-old students is violent.

"This child has a history of choking, kicking in the groin, and pushing on monkey bars to fall down," said Terri Worthington-Pack, a parent at Oakhurst Elementary School who volunteers on the playground.

Brown said she saw her student hit another second grader at lunchtime.

"[He] left a bruise on the side of his face. And to my knowledge he was never suspended for that. And I don't know if he was even talked to about that situation," said Brown.

Brown told her students that if they felt they needed to tell someone about inappropriate behavior, they could come to her.

"One by one they came over to me and I documented different things. ... I couldn't write fast enough for what was pouring out of their hearts," said Brown.

Brown talked to each child privately and wrote down their stories of physical and emotional abuse. The stories included things like, "He spit on [so-and-so,]" "He always shoves me," "He threatened [so-and-so] with his fist," "He was going to bring a real gun to school," and "[He] told [so-and-so] that he was going to kill him with a gun."

The gun threats made Brown truly alarmed for her students' safety. The 15-year teaching veteran brought her concerns to parents, the school district, and then the principal. Brown said officials failed to act fast enough. Two days later, she called the sheriff's office.

"I did go to law enforcement to see if I can try to get a restraining order. But I found out that you cannot do restraining order with children. The very next day, I received a letter of reprimand in my e-mail box," said Brown.