The school superintendent wants all three fired; the educators deny wrongdoing and seek School Board hearing.
Three Sparr Elementary School employees should be fired for not stopping an 8-year-old special needs child from banging his head 30 times on a cabinet door, according to a School District administrative complaint.
Superintendent of Schools Heidi Maier’s complaint states that special needs paraprofessionals Brandi Stephens and Shivonne Bennett, and behavior technician Ronisha Johnson, should be fired for failing to protect the child during the March 14 incident.
“Video evidence was obtained showing the student was repeatedly banging his head on the cabinet door approximately 30 times and hitting his fist/hand approximately 32 times,” the complaint states.
According to documents submitted to the district, all three employees are seeking an administrative hearing before the School Board. All three employees’ attorneys dispute Maier’s allegation. The educators are suspended without pay pending those hearings.
Bennett is represented by David W. Glasser of Daytona Beach. In a letter, Glasser states that Bennett acted appropriately.
In Glasser’s lengthy request for a hearing, Bennett was quoted.
Glasser also wrote that Bennett called the guidance counselor to come immediately to the room.
“I do not feel comfortable restraining the student without proper training,” according to Bennett’s statement in the letter.
Mark Herdman of the Clearwater law firm Herdman and Sakellarides is representing Stephens and Johnson.
Maier’s recommendation was included in the School Board meeting agenda packet for Tuesday’s meeting. The three employees could not be reached for comment.