A Florida educator who was named Teacher of the Year at her school last week was arrested for allegedly striking a student in the face...
A Florida educator who was named Teacher of the Year at her school last week was arrested for allegedly striking a student in the face after the girl claimed on social media that the teacher had used the 'N-word' in class.
English teacher Caroline 'Melanie' Lee, 60, was booked into the Duval County Jail on a child abuse charge on Friday and made her initial court appearance on Saturday. A judge barred her from making any contact with the victim and ordered her to stay away from the school.
Lee was arrested after calling a student into her classroom to speak privately and allegedly striking the female student on the face and leaving the minor with a bloody nose, according to The Florida Times-Union, citing a Duval Schools Police report.
The confrontation was instigated by an Instagram post by Duval County Public Schools on Wednesday of Lee being named Teacher of the Year at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School, according to the police report.
Caroline Lee, 60, an English teacher from Florida, has been charged with child abuse for allegedly hitting a student who publicly questioned her use of the 'N-word'
Lee was arrested just two days after being named Teacher of The Year at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School
A student at the student questioned Lee's selection for the honor, saying she had used the racial slur in class
Lee responded by saying that she had only use the slur only in the context of discussing Of Mice And Men
Several comments on the post questioned the win, with one user writing: 'isnt (sic) this the teacher who thought it was ok to say the n word while reading smth (sic) for educational purposes.....'
Lee replied that she had only used the slur in the context of discussing John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men.
The student shot back that saying the word 'in anyway (sic) doesnt (sic) make it any better.'
On Friday, Lee asked to speak to the student who made the comment about her use of the racial epithet.
When the girl got to Lee’s classroom, the student said, Lee closed the door behind her. The 5-foot-2, 117-pound teacher then reached across the table and struck the child with the heel of her palm in the face, causing her nose to bleed, according to the police report. She then allegedly continued hitting the girl on the head while calling her a 'f***ing b****,' reported News4Jax.
When the girl tried to stop the teacher from hitting her by grabbing her hands, Lee allegedly kicked the student in her lower leg. She then ordered the child to 'get out.'
On Friday, Lee allegedly struck the student in the face while having a private conversation with her at the school in Jacksonville
Lee made her initial court appearance on Saturday (pictured) and was released without bond
Lee denied physically harming the student, telling a police officer that she only wanted to talk to the student whose Instagram message she perceived as 'a threat to kill her.' But, she added, she was 'not afraid' and 'did not feel the need' to report the message to staff.
The 60-year-old educator, however, could not explain the girl's bloody nose.
School surveillance video showed Lee 'walking at an aggressive pace' to her classroom before the incident and the student, about four minutes later, leaving the classroom holding her face and walking with a 'low demeanor' to a guidance counselor’s office, where she reported the incident, the responding officer said in the report.
Lee claimed she wanted to talk to the student because she perceived her Instagram comment as a threat. The 60-year-old teacher denied physically harming the girl
Duval Schools Superintendent Diana Greene said in a statement that the allegation was 'beyond disturbing' and that schools officials will cooperate with all investigations.
'What is alleged should never occur — ever — especially in a school setting,' Greene said. 'I have no tolerance for adults who harm children, especially adults in a position of trust.'
Lee was released from jail on Saturday without bond. She is due back in court on November 22.
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