DELTONA, Fla. (WESH) — A Volusia County teacher was arrested Saturday after police say she used her legs to put a 3-year-old in a headlock during class.
According to an affidavit obtained by WESH 2, 59-year-old Vilma Otero is facing child abuse charges after a teacher’s aide in her class witnessed the incident and filed a report with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The teacher’s aide assigned to Otero’s class at Forest Lake Elementary told officers she was preparing an activity during the children’s story time when she heard screaming and crying from across the classroom, the affidavit states.
When the substitute teacher turned around, she saw Otero sitting in a chair with the toddler between her legs. According to the affidavit, the substitute teacher said the boy’s face turned red as he screamed and tried to break free from the chokehold.
The aide took photos of the incident and sent them to officials, who said they saw “Otero placing his legs and feet on either side of (the child’s) neck, as if he was being restrained while lying on his back, while Otero continued to read to the other children in the classroom.”
After receiving the DCF report, officials were able to contact the child’s family and the toddler.
Because the child is so young and also has autism, officers were unable to communicate much with the boy. According to the affidavit, he was able to tell officers that he “got in trouble at school” and said, “She hurt me.”
Officials said they also noticed slight redness on the child’s neck.
When officers arrived at Otero’s residence, the woman told officers that she had been a teacher for 36 years and that most of her experience had been working with children with special needs. In addition, Otero told officers that she had received special training in teaching children with special needs and that the most common course of action was to move children to another room when they needed time to calm down.
The woman denied holding the child in the manner described by the aide and continued to maintain her innocence even after officers showed her the photos, the affidavit said.
Because officers noticed physical marks on the boy’s neck and were told by the teacher’s assistant that the boy had attempted to escape from the situation in which he had been placed, officers said there was reasonable suspicion to arrest Otero.
The woman is accused of child abuse without serious bodily harm.
The school district released the following statement:
“Volusia County Schools is aware of the recent arrest of a teacher at Forest Lake Elementary School.
VCS is committed to the safety and well-being of all our students and takes this situation very seriously.
As such, our Professional Standards Department is currently conducting a thorough investigation to determine appropriate next steps. The teacher is currently on leave.”
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner company. All rights reserved.
