A pre-kindergarten teacher at St. Cloud Elementary is facing a child abuse charge after school surveillance video showed her grabbing, dragging, and shoving a young student on the playground, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.
Kathryn Garcia was arrested by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office on Friday.
What the video showed
The incident happened Thursday during recess.
According to the police report, the student became upset when recess ended and sat down on the ground. Video reviewed by the reporting officer showed Garcia leaning down and grabbing the child’s left arm, pulling him up from the ground aggressively. When the child dropped back to the ground, Garcia kicked his legs, then grabbed his left arm and dragged him across the concrete, according to the police report.
Garcia then placed both hands around the child’s neck from behind and lifted his head and neck, raising him off the ground. She then placed her right hand under his chin while extending his left arm outward and shoved him face-first into a chain-link fence. Seconds later, video appeared to show Garcia extending her right arm and striking the child in the upper torso, according to the report.
What witnesses said
Two teachers who were on the playground reported what they saw to school administration. One witness told investigators she saw Garcia jerk the child off the ground by his wrist two to three times, dropping him more than once. The witness said Garcia then kicked and shuffled the child across the ground with her feet before grabbing him by the neck with both hands and jerking him to a standing position, then shoving him into the fence.
A second witness stated she saw Garcia pushing the student and picking him up by his neck while he was sitting on the ground before placing him near the fence.
School and agency response
School administration was notified of the incident the same day and removed Garcia from the classroom. The Osceola County School Board was also notified. Staff reported the incident to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which initially accepted the report but later determined it did not meet their criteria for involvement, according to the police report.
The student’s parents were contacted and responded to the school. The child was examined and cleared by the school nurse. His mother filled out a written statement and signed an affidavit of prosecution.
Garcia faces a charge of child abuse — simple assault or battery, a violation of Florida State Statute 827.03(2c). She told investigators the child was upset that recess was ending and that she lifted him from underneath his arms as he struggled. She said she did not recall grabbing his neck. Garcia declined to provide a written statement.
The surveillance video was preserved by the school principal and is property of the Osceola County School Board. The St. Cloud Police Department said it will request a subpoena for a copy to be submitted into evidence.