Background: Thatcher Elementary School in Attleboro, Mass. (WPRI). Inset: Susan Martin (Attleboro Police Department).
A special-education teacher from Massachusetts was charged with assault after being accused of slapping two students with autism in the face.
A woman named Susan Martin, aged 57, was arrested for assaulting and battering two five-year-old students with autism, who witnesses claimed she had slapped and shoved. The incidents occurred in a classroom where Martin was seen slapping one student and later pushing and slapping another, all of which were witnessed by multiple staff members. She was subsequently released following her arrest.
Martin, a licensed special education teacher at Attleboro Public School district, had garnered complaints from numerous staff members. They alleged that she made concerning comments about the students, displayed overly aggressive behavior, and was heavy-handed with them. Martin had only recently joined the school’s staff in August.
Court records detailed the incident on Nov. 26, where Martin reportedly slapped a student with an open hand on the cheek after the student got up from her seat, causing the child to cry. The slap left a visible mark on the child’s face, according to reports from WPRI, a local Fox affiliate.
The second incident occurred about an hour following a fire drill at around 1 p.m. when the second student also got out of his seat and reportedly took a swing at Martin. Martin then allegedly slapped him “across the face with an open hand.” The noise it produced was reportedly heard across the room by other staff, one of whom asked if the boy had slapped himself. Martin’s alleged reply was, “Oh no, I got him.”
Both of the students are diagnosed with nonverbal autism.
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Martin was arrested at her home, booked, and released on her own recognizance. She was ordered to have no contact with anyone under 16 and placed on administrative leave immediately after the Nov. 26 incident was reported.
David Sawyer, the superintendent of Attleboro Public Schools, released a statement on Dec. 9 after Martin’s arrest. He acknowledged that “a teacher allegedly slapped two students in a classroom” and had been arrested and charged with assault and battery. Sawyer said that in addition to the criminal investigation, the school first initiated an internal investigation into the allegations against Martin.
He stated further that, “The allegations represent a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators and the values we hold dear as a public school district. I would like to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. We have taken this situation very seriously since it was brought to our attention, and we are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners in their ongoing investigation.”
Martin pleaded not guilty to the charges against her when she was arraigned on Dec. 9. Her attorney told local news outlet Boston.com that she denied the allegations and reiterated that “[t]here was absolutely no harm to these children.” She is due back in court on Jan. 23.
