PALM COAST, FL - A teacher in his fifties is accused of tossing a six-year-old special needs student through the air and then pinning him against the wall. The alleged incident happened after the boy had a disagreement with a classmate over a toy.
The teacher, 52-year-old Kevin Adkisson, is charged with two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm, according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO). The investigation began when a paraprofessional in Adkisson's emotional and behavioral disorders classroom alerted the vice principal about an incident that made her "uncomfortable," a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime stated.
The alleged incident happened on October 16 at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast, Florida. That day, students had "free time" and could watch a movie or play with toys. The paraprofessional told police that the victim and another student began arguing over a toy. Both were holding it and not letting go, so she told them to give the toy to her.
Adkisson, known as Mr. A., allegedly walked over and "forcefully" pulled the toy from their hands. He then allegedly grabbed the victim by the arm in a "rough, slinging motion," which caused the student to "swing through the air." The student was "visibly upset" and crawled underneath the desk while "crying and yelling," the affidavit said.
Adkisson moved the desk and allegedly pinned the victim against the wall. According to the paraprofessional, the student was crying and telling Adkisson that he was hurting him and that "he could not breathe," police wrote. He eventually let the boy go and told him he was "not hurt" before walking away.
Earlier that day, Adkisson had allegedly picked the boy up for skipping a line and carried him to the back. Police spoke to the boy, who said Adkisson "struck him on both the left and right sides of his stomach with closed hands." The boy said he recalled the other incident but could not provide additional details.
Adkisson was arrested at his home and booked into the Flagler County Jail, where he has since posted a $5,000 bond. He declined to speak with detectives. His next court date is scheduled for November 17. Flagler County Schools said that Adkisson is now on administrative leave.
"Parents entrust teachers to provide a safe learning environment for their children. Some special needs students can be challenging, but everyone who works with these children must always keep their cool," Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. "This is an unfortunate incident, but this should not taint the professional and hard-working faculty and staff, which do an outstanding job with our children. But let me be clear: Abuse of any kind, especially at the hands of a trusted adult, will not be tolerated."
Comments