North Carolina teacher accused of hitting nonverbal child

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina teacher who works with disabled students is accused of hitting a nonverbal child in her class.

The Fayetteville Observer reports 37-year-old April Michelle Caudill was charged Monday with misdemeanor assault on a handicapped person.

According to a probable cause statement from a Cumberland County sheriff’s detective, a custodian at J.W. Coon Elementary School saw Caudill strike the student on the head twice in October. The student suffers from seizures and normally wears a helmet for protection but didn’t have it on.

Both the custodian and a nearby teacher said they heard Caudill yelling at the student beforehand.

An assistant principal told investigators Caudill had previously violated policy in punishing a student.

Caudill has been suspended since the incident was reported. It’s unclear whether she has a lawyer.