ATTLEBORO – Attleboro police arrested a teacher Monday morning for allegedly hitting two 5-year-old autistic students. Susan Martin, a certified special education teacher at Thacher Elementary School, was taken into custody at her home in Kingston.
Martin, 57, is accused of punching one of the students in the face on Nov. 26 and pushing and punching the other an hour later.
“Both incidents were witnessed by several other staff members and occurred in a classroom,” Attleboro police said in a statement.
Charges against Attleboro teacher Susan Martin
Martin is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability. She was not arrested earlier because she was on vacation in Florida, police said.
“Multiple staff members have reported that MARTIN has made comments about the students in the past, been overly aggressive and harsh toward the students,” according to a police report.
The incident is still under investigation.
“Betrayal of Trust”
Attleboro Public Schools Supt. David Sawyer said in a statement that the school district “continues to support the affected students and their families during this difficult time.” He said Martin was immediately placed on administrative leave after staffers reported the incidents.
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families was also notified, Sawyer said.
“The allegations represent a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators and the values we hold dear as a public school district. I would like to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities,” Sawyer said. . “We have taken this situation very seriously since it was brought to our attention, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners in their ongoing investigation.”
