School tutor charged with felony child abuse

Police say man slammed 7-year-old against wall at City Springs Elementary

A 25-year-old tutor at City Springs Elementary School was charged Wednesday with felony child abuse and assault after police say he slammed a 7-year-old child against a wall, causing a serious head injury.

Timothy Randall Korr of the 3200 block of Foster Ave. faces first- and seconddegree child abuse, first- and seconddegree assault, reckless endangerment and neglect charges, police said. He has been terminated by the Baltimore Curriculum Project, the school’s charter operator

Police said it’s not known what prompted the incident, but department spokesman T.J. Smith said nothing justified the “despicable” act.

Police described Korr, who weighs 225 pounds, carrying the second-grade student a short distance before slamming him into the wall.

“Slammed so hard his body went limp,” Smith said. “To watch a child be basically manhandled like a sack of potatoes is incomprehensible.”

City police were called Monday by Baltimore school police to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where the boy is being treated, to investigate the alleged abuse. The incident was captured on video. After detectives viewed the footage at the Southeast Balti- more charter school on Tuesday, police arrested Korr.

Police did not name the boy or release his condition.

Korr was taken to Central Booking, where he was awaiting an appearance before a court commissioner.

Korr’s attorney, Kurt Nachtman, declined to comment Wednesday.

School system spokesman Edie House-Foster said the Baltimore Curriculum Project, which runs City Springs and several other charter schools in the city, hired Korr as a tutor.

Korr held a position created by the Baltimore Curriculum Project and not the school system. Korr was not hired or screened by the school system’s human resources department, as is the case with most employees, House-Foster said.

“We are heartsick that this child suffered Timothy Korr this injury,” said Laura Doherty, president and CEO of the Baltimore Curriculum Project.

“We pray for his complete and quick recovery and for his family as well. This is an unusual, isolated incident for our schools, and we are participating in a thorough investigation into what exactly happened.”

House-Foster said the school system is working with the charter operator and police investigators.

The school system, House-Foster said, will “cooperate fully in the police investigation of the incident and will take any action warranted once the investigation is complete.”