FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — The Fond du Lac police are investigating a now-resigned elementary school special education teacher.
Multiple parents said they were informed by the school district that the teacher physically harmed their children.
- Parents at Roberts Elementary School said the school district notified them of potentially inappropriate behavior involving a special education teacher.
- Parents said the school told them the teacher grabbed, dragged and shoved students.
- The school district said there is an investigation into "potential employee misconduct."
- Police said they are also investigating the incident.
- Video shows parents discussing the allegations.
"It's every mom's worst nightmare find out that their kid has been harmed by, you know, another adult," said Morgan Campagna.
Campagna’s son is a 6-year-old at Roberts Elementary School in Fond du Lac, who she said was diagnosed with autism about three years ago and is nonverbal.
Campagna said last week, the Fond du Lac School District called her to notify her of an incident involving her son and his teacher that was observed by a teaching aide.
"[The district said] he was on the floor on his knees, and she ripped him up by his arm, and then was holding on to him," Campagna said.
We've chosen not to name the teacher at this time, as she's not been criminally charged.
Several parents said the teacher taught a small class of special needs children ranging from first to fifth grade.
Lena Mielke’s grandson is in the same class, and says the district contacted her, too.
"They said that he was pushed down, held down in a chair, yanked because he wasn't walking," Mielke said.
Mielke’s grandson is six, and also has autism and is nonverbal.
"It was just heartbreaking to know that he, he's helpless," Mielke said. "He can't tell anybody else what was going on."
The child’s mother, Mielke’s daughter, shared an email sent by Roberts Elementary School Principal Cathy Prozanski, which Prozanski sent after a phone call describing the incident.
The email states the teacher was observed pulling the six-year-old’s arm, dragging him and pushing him. According to the email, the teacher “grabbed him hard enough the staff member worried about bruising.”
Kassandra Wilbourn said the school also contacted her last week, to tell her that her 10-year-old grandson was forcefully shoved by the same teacher.
But unlike many of his classmates, Wilbourn said her grandson can speak, and later told his family that the teacher had hurt him.
"He was like, and ‘it hurts, it hurt,'" Wilbourn said. "And we looked at him, was like, ‘okay, what hurt?’ he’s like, ‘miss [teacher]... my arm right here.'"
Now, parents want answers.
"Where did she come from? Who put her out there? Who hired her? Who's going to take responsibility for what happened with our children?" Wilbourn said.
The Fond du Lac School District Superintendent declined an interview, and the district does not have records of any incidents readily available because of “a current investigation into possible employee misconduct.”
The school district did say they submitted the matter to child protective services for review and the teacher resigned from the district.
NBC 26 attempted to reach her the teacher email and phone, but have not yet heard back form her.
Parents said they're working with police and plan to press charges.
"It's bad enough the kids that have experienced that have gone through it, and I just just want justice for the kids," Mielke said.
NBC 26 reached out to Fond du Lac police about the allegations. The police department said they're conducting an "active and ongoing investigation," but declined to comment further.
