An elementary school principal in Clewiston, Hendry County, Florida, USA, is under investigation for allegedly hitting a 6-year-old schoolgirl with a plank for allegedly damaging a computer.
The local police said that they are now investigating the case of the principal of Central Elementary School, Melissa Carter, as she hit a student in front of her mother, in a brutal scene that the mother documented with a video that sparked widespread controversy.
The local network (WINK News) reported that the Ministry of Children and Families Affairs is also investigating the incident. Some school districts allow corporal punishment but the Hendry County school district does not.
A 6yo child in FL. was beaten by her school principal, in front of her mother, for damage she allegedly caused to a computer. ⚠️ this video is graphic. It's infuriating, outrageous & shocking & the principal is now under criminal investigation. https://t.co/M3cIZeTMKa pic.twitter.com/HPAcbYXlXe
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 2, 2021
It states that the supervisor must specify penalties for breaking the rules, with the exception of corporal punishment. The policy also encourages actions that "do not degrade students" and "do not tend to violate any constitutionally guaranteed individual rights of students."
The Spanish mother said that the method of beating shows “hatred.” She added, crying, “I never hit my daughter.” She added that she did not understand everything that happened correctly because of the language barrier.
The incident occurred on April 13 when the school called the mother to tell her that her daughter had damaged the computer and that the fee would be $50.
According to the police report, the woman went to the school to pay the fees, but was taken to the principal's office instead where she found her daughter, and soon the principal started screaming, which made her feel nervous, especially with the lack of cameras in the place, so she decided to document what would happen hiddenly via a phone camera .
The mother said, “Nobody would have believed me. I sacrificed my daughter, so that all parents can understand what is happening in this school.” "I will get justice for my daughter," she added.
Police in Florida are investigating an elementary school principal who was filmed last month hitting a 6-year-old student with a wooden paddle.
The student's mother recorded the incident on her cell phone. @DavidBegnaud has the disturbing details. pic.twitter.com/onvbfWQLJq
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 3, 2021
Brett Provinsky, a family attorney who works with undocumented immigrants, said the state attorney general's office will decide whether to file criminal charges against Carter and Cecilia Self, a school employee who also appears in the video.
They used a racket that could cause severe physical harm. The little girl is terrified and feels weak. There is nothing she can do in the hands of these adults who have treated her so brutally and sadistically.”
The woman took her daughter to the doctor on the same day to document the red marks and bruises caused by the racket. She now worries about long-term psychological damage.