No charges against educators in alleged abuse of special-needs students, DA says

students at Elm Street EleCranford said. All of the chilmentary School, AJC.com dren said they had not been previously reported. Both abused by anyone, and sevChild abuse charges will employees were placed on eral said they liked both not be filed against a Coweta administrative leave shortly women, he said. County teacher and para- after. “We recognize that the professional who accused According to Cranford, the children’s failure to corroboeach other of mistreating paraprofessional alleged the rate the allegations of abuse students with special needs, teacher grabbed an 11-year- may be a result of the chilaccording to the district old student by the neck on dren’s limited ability to comattorney. the playground and hit them municate,” Cranford said.

In a statement, Coweta on the shoulder. “However, the lack of corJudicial Circuit District AttorS he also claimed t he roboration makes the alleney Herb Cranford said his teacher threw a shoe at a gations difficult to prove, office chose not to pursue 10-year-old student’s face. and if anything, tends to disthe case because none of In response, the teacher prove them.” the allegations of abuse “can claimed the paraprofessional Both the teacher and parabe proven beyond a reason- had locked a 7-year-old in a professional denied having able doubt.” classroom bathroom multi- ever hurt their students and,

The educ ators said in ple times for timeout. according to Cranford, the December they had witInterviews with parents only accusations against nessed one another acting and students did not supeither educator came from abusively toward multiple port either educator’s claims, the other one.