A teacher is facing a child abuse charge after her alleged disciplinary method left a seven-year-old boy with a broken elbow. The child’s distressed mother says the justice system has been painfully slow, while her son continues to struggle with both the physical and emotional effects of the incident.
The St. Catherine mother, referred to as Marsha to protect her identity, said her son came home from school one day showing clear signs of pain. His elbow was swollen, and he was in tears. She immediately contacted the teacher, who admitted to hitting the child with a piece of board. According to the mother, the teacher said her son was being disruptive, and she disciplined him by striking him with a board.
She claimed the child raised his arm in defence when she was striking his shoulder, causing his elbow to be struck. The teacher also told the mother she meant no harm when she hit him and urged the mother to treat the wound by applying ice to it. However, her son’s pain worsened overnight, and a visit to the clinic led them to the police station.
Initially, Marsha said there was an attempt to resolve the matter without involving the courts. The teacher offered to help cover the medical bills, but later said she could no longer afford to. That’s when Marsha pursued legal action, and the teacher was formally charged.
The incident occurred last December, and since then, Marsha said, three court dates have passed, and the case remains stalled. Each time she appears in court, she is told the file is not available. On one visit to the police station, she was asked to sign paperwork, but she has received no further updates since the officer went on leave.
Meanwhile, doctors have diagnosed her son with a fractured elbow. Marsha was told the injury might affect the growth of the limb by impairing, increasing, or slowing it. “I don’t believe in that kind of cruel beating,” she said. “That is just wickedness.”
The teacher confirmed the charge but said harming the child was never her intention. Now, with the legal process dragging on and her son’s injury still unresolved, Marsha says she just wants accountability and proper care for her child’s future.