DUNBAR, W.Va. — A Kanawha County teacher is facing charges after allegedly abusing a non-verbal child a Dunbar Primary School classroom.
According to a criminal complaint, Willie Lee Washington, 54, of St. Albans, has been charged with battery and assault of a disabled child. Washington was a substitute teacher working in a first-grade special needs classroom.
The complaint stated Washington was seen on surveillance video on September 2 grabbing a child “under the chin roughly.” It also stated that Washington threw the child to the floor in a rough manner after he fled.
While Washington was caught on surveillance video, the audio was not functioning on that day.
At a Monday press conference, Attorney Michael Cary announced that Washington and Kanawha County Schools had been named in a civil lawsuit.
The suit described Washington as being heavy-set and over six feet tall and said the child had been formally diagnosed with Level III autism and Pica.
The lawsuit also went through the moments after the child fled, saying, “In his confused and terrified state, he lashed out and harmed another child in the classroom.”
Once the child lashed out, Washington grabbed the child for a second time and that was when the child was allegedly thrown to the ground. The child’s mother, Ashley Strobel-Cleveland, confirmed that bruises were found as a result of this incident.
The criminal complaint said a mandated reporter contacted State Police about the incident.
Cleveland said she received a call that evening from Dunbar Primary School Principal Michelle Adams about the incident they were investigating.
“She told us that the teacher had been ‘a little handsy’ with our child,” Cleveland said.
Cleveland said this was never a phone call she wanted to have.
“You don’t think when dropping your kid off at school that a teacher is going to put a hand on your child. You’re never going to think that. You think that that’s a safe place for them to be,” Cleveland said. “I never would think that that would be a phone call that evening that hands were put on him.”
“One of your worst fears coming true,” David Woody, the child’s father, added.
Cary, who will be representing the +, says this was no isolated incident.
“This is a systematic problem that has to stop. This is getting out of control,” Cary said. “We had two more cases over the weekend dealing with the Kanawha County Board of Education.
“It seems that the children that need the most care are getting the least,” he said.
Cary also says the children without a voice will be fought for.
“We’re going to be their voice,” Cary said. “The dollar amount means nothing. It’s about every parent stepping up. If you see something, you’ve got to say something. If it takes a year, we’re going to be there fighting for a year.”
Kanawha County Schools released a statement about the incident Monday afternoon.
“Kanawha County Schools (KCS) is aware of an incident involving a student and an employee in a self-contained classroom in one of our schools. While student and employee privacy laws prevent us from sharing specific details, we want our families and community to know that the safety and well-being of every child in our schools is at the forefront of everything we do.
All KCS employees undergo a background check before being hired. Once employed, they receive training in the form of coaching, modeling, PD sessions, and new teacher cohorts. This is designed to ensure all staff understand how to support students properly, legally, effectively, safely, and successfully. This training begins at onboarding and continues at the start of each school year, with additional sessions throughout the year. District leaders dedicate significant time to developing and delivering these trainings so that every employee is equipped to help students learn, grow, excel, and succeed.
To support accountability, school administrators are tasked with regularly conducting walkthroughs of every classroom. In self-contained classrooms, camera footage is routinely monitored. If an incident is reported, school administrators immediately review camera footage and promptly notify parents/guardians, Child Protective Services, the West Virginia State Police, and Central Office officials. Parents/guardians are permitted to view the video in self-contained classrooms themselves if they wish.
KCS knows that challenges may arise in any school district. What matters most is how they are addressed. The majority of incidents that come to public attention are the result of KCS administrators discovering the incident and reporting them, and in this latest situation that is exactly what happened. While we may not be permitted to talk about issues in the media, we believe problems should not be hidden. When concerns arise, they are addressed without delay from a personnel standpoint, and KCS staff fully cooperates with law enforcement and outside agencies during investigations.
We know that situations like this are troubling to our families and community. Please be assured that Kanawha County Schools remains committed to transparency, accountability, and above all, the safety and success of every student entrusted to our care.”