Charges dismissed against substitute teacher

UPDATE 9/17/25@ 11:36 a.m.

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A magistrate court said the charges against a substitute teacher charged with battery and assault of a disabled child have on Sept. 5 were dismissed.

UPDATE 9/9/25 @ 2:35 p.m.

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Kanawha County Schools has given a statement regarding a substitute teacher who was dismissed on charges of battery and assault of a disabled child on Sept. 5:

“Kanawha County Schools (KCS) is aware of an incident involving a student and an employee in a self-contained classroom in one of our schools. While student and employee privacy laws prevent us from sharing specific details, we want our families and community to know that the safety and well-being of every child in our schools is at the forefront of everything we do.

All KCS employees undergo a background check before being hired. Once employed, they receive training in the form of coaching, modeling, PD sessions, and new teacher cohorts. This is designed to ensure all staff understand how to support students properly, legally, effectively, safely, and successfully. This training begins at onboarding and continues at the start of each school year, with additional sessions throughout the year. District leaders dedicate significant time to developing and delivering these trainings so that every employee is equipped to help students learn, grow, excel, and succeed.

To support accountability, school administrators are tasked with regularly conducting walkthroughs of every classroom. In self-contained classrooms, camera footage is routinely monitored. If an incident is reported, school administrators immediately review camera footage and promptly notify parents/guardians, Child Protective Services, the West Virginia State Police, and Central Office officials. Parents/guardians are permitted to view the video in self-contained classrooms themselves if they wish.

KCS knows that challenges may arise in any school district. What matters most is how they are addressed. The majority of incidents that come to public attention are the result of KCS administrators discovering the incident and reporting them, and in this latest situation that is exactly what happened. While we may not be permitted to talk about issues in the media, we believe problems should not be hidden. When concerns arise, they are addressed without delay from a personnel standpoint, and KCS staff fully cooperates with law enforcement and outside agencies during investigations.

We know that situations like this are troubling to our families and community. Please be assured that Kanawha County Schools remains committed to transparency, accountability, and above all, the safety and success of every student entrusted to our care."

ORIGINAL STORY

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A substitute teacher has been charged with battery and assault of a disabled child, according to court documents.

Court documents state the incident occurred on Sept. 5 at approximately 11:55 a.m. at 2401 Myers Ave. at Dunbar Primary School.

A mandated reporter employed with the Institutional Investigations Department of Human Resources contacted West Virginia State Police’s South Charleston Communications Center to report the substitute teacher, court documents stated.

According to court documents, the substitute teacher grabbed a disabled child “under the chin roughly.”

During an interview, the substitute teacher said “he had no intent to hurt,” court documents stated.

Around 1:45 p.m. the same day, an undersigned officer obtained security footage from the classroom where the incident occurred, according to court documents.

Court documents stated after reviewing the footage the officer observed running and playing in the classroom.

In the footage, the substitute teacher was seen “aggressively grabbing the child’s right arm, then his left,” and “shaking and quickly grabbing his chin in an insulting and provoking manner,” according to court documents.

Court documents stated upon reviewing the evidence provided, the officer charged the substitute teacher with battery and assault of a disabled child.