A mother is angry after a Washington, DC, school teacher who was accused of using corporal punishment struck her daughter for waiting too long to wash her hands.
The woman’s daughter, a 14-year-old eighth-grade student at Sousa Middle School, claimed that her teacher struck her with a yardstick on May 13.
Janel Doy Johnson, the teen girl’s mother, told FOX 5 that she was washing her hands after a scientific experiment when the bell rang at 3:15 p.m., and the anonymous instructor smacked her bottom with the stick to tell her to hurry.
The child also stated that another student gave the teacher a brush to give her, but the teacher instead put it in his pocket.
The teen girl claimed that her teacher did this so she could reach into his pocket and retrieve the brush.
The enraged mother’s daughter immediately reported the event to her school counselor, and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) initiated an investigation to determine whether the young girl was struck by the teacher.
‘[I’m] devastated, hurt, furious and kind of scared. I wanted to press charges, for one, and get a report,’ Johnson told the local news station.
‘So I can have something done and justice done for what he’s doing to these children in the school.’
A copy of the police report acquired by Mail Online revealed that the teacher justified his actions by stating that his only goal was to hurry her along.
‘An 8th-grade student stated that while she was washing her hands at the sink in lab class, her teacher touched her on her left leg and thigh area with a 36-inch ruler,’ the report said.
‘[The teacher] stated that he did it for her to hurry her along to leave the classroom for the day.’
Brittany Green-Pascal, head of Sousa Middle School, confirmed in a letter to the teen girl’s parents that investigations were underway.
‘I am writing to make you aware that an allegation of corporal punishment has recently been made against a Sousa staff member,’ the letter said. ‘DCPS treats any allegation of employee misconduct with the greatest importance.’
Green-Pascal claimed that the anonymous instructor is currently on leave and will not return to school until the investigation is completed.
The teen girl’s furious mother has resorted to social media, demanding accountability from the school.
‘I’m a heartbroken and outraged mother. My daughter and several other young girls at her school have come forward with serious accusations of being inappropriately touched by a staff member. I am demanding answers, action, and safety for our children,’ Johnson said.
‘What happened at the school was not “discipline.” Let’s be clear—this was sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by a trusted adult.’
‘My daughter is a well-mannered, respectful child who knows right from wrong, and she bravely spoke up when something didn’t feel right. I will not allow this to be downplayed or dismissed as anything less than what it was. No child deserves to be made to feel unsafe at school. Our kids should be protected, not silenced.’
