An Edgecombe County teaching assistant who’s charged with assaulting a disabled student appeared in court Wednesday morning.
For the first time, the student’s family members saw a video of what she’s accused of doing.
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Regina Gray faces charges for assaulting a person with a disability and child abuse. Warrants said she grabbed a student by the neck at G.W. Bulluck Elementary School last month.
The child’s family members went to the school on Wednesday to watch a video of the interaction that was recorded by a school bus camera.
“[She] strangled him and she slammed him on the bus steps,” the child’s grandmother, Lawanda Cooper Alston, said.
The school reported the incident to the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office about a week ago, and Gray was brought into custody on Monday.
Alston said the student has the ability to speak. He has mild autism and is 5 years old.
“We’re releasing our baby to you for eight hours," she said. "We understand it can be tough, but you’re a teacher. No matter what the buildup is, you just don’t take it out on a child.”
The Edgecombe County School District said Gray is no longer employed at the school.
North Carolina has experienced persistent special education teacher shortages for decades. Experts say that also includes teaching assistants.
We asked the school district and the Dept. of Public Instruction:
- How does the district ensure special education teachers are qualified? and
- Are they trained up on de-escalation?
WRAL did not immediately hear back.