A teacher in Florida has been taken into custody following accusations that she put a 3-year-old boy with autism in a chokehold during a classroom activity, according to Law and Crime.
According to the affidavit shared with the outlet, 59-year-old Vilma Otero, a teacher at Forest Lake Elementary School in Deltona, was arrested and charged with child abuse. Otero denies the accusations.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred last Friday, August 23, during a storytime session in Otero’s classroom, according to a court affidavit.
The arrest followed a report from a paraeducator who said she was preparing for an upcoming activity when she alleged she overheard a student crying out in distress. The paraeducator reportedly said she saw Otero seated with a child positioned “between her legs,” allegedly being held in a manner that resembled a chokehold. The paraeducator described the child’s face as “turning red” as he cried and struggled to free himself.
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She notified the Department of Children and Families, which then alerted local deputies, according to the court document.
The paraeducator reportedly used her phone to take photographs, which she later provided to law enforcement as evidence, according to Law and Crime.
Otero, who has been an educator for 36 years, including extensive experience with special needs students, has denied the allegations, according to local news channel WESH 2.
Her attorney, Richard Zaleski, called the accusations “absurd” in a statement to Newsweek.
“She is a lifetime servant of the community and the photos offered are out of context,” Zaleski said. “With all due respect to the employee who took the photographs but didn’t feel any need to intervene, we will ask everyone to respect the process and give Mrs. Otero the benefit of the doubt she deserves.”
On the day after the alleged incident, detectives reportedly met with the child and his family.
According to the Law and Crime, the boy appeared to be in a “good mood and playful” when he returned home from school, but deputies did note some slight redness on his neck. The child reportedly told his family, “I got in trouble at school” and “she hurt me,” but was unable to provide further details about what had happened due to his condition.
Following her arrest, Otero was taken to jail on the child abuse charge but has since been released on bail. She has entered a plea of not guilty, and her next court appearance is set for September 19, according to Law and Crime.
The Volusia County School District told local news outlet WESH 2 that the teacher is on administrative leave until the investigation is over.
Newsweek has reached out to the sheriff’s department for further information.
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