Child abuse in overprotected government schools now includes forehead touching?

Classroom incident probed
By Melissa Pamer, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/28/2008 11:30:17 PM PDT

SOUTH PASADENA - District officials are investigating an incident in which a substitute teacher allegedly reprimanded a student inappropriately, authorities said Friday.

Police were called to South Pasadena Middle School on Wednesday following a report that a teacher had assaulted a child, said Cpl. Craig Cooper of the South Pasadena Police Department.

After investigating, police closed the case, determining no abuse had occurred, Cooper said.

The teacher "used the tip of her finger and patted (the student) on the forehead," Cooper said. "She was all, `Come on, you, you can do better than that."'

School officials, who also made a complaint to Los Angeles County child services representatives, are continuing to look into the case, said South Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Brian Bristol.

"There was a substitute teacher that engaged in conduct that we consider to be physically and verbally assaultive," Bristol said, declining to confirm details about the alleged forehead-tapping.

The incident was reported by students to other teachers, who told school administrators.

The substitute teacher, who was set to teach another class, was removed from her classroom, Bristol said.

"She made a poor choice, and we do not tolerate that. Such conduct is unacceptable," Bristol said of the teacher, adding that she will not be allowed to teach in the district again.

Bristol declined to give the names of the teacher or student involved, citing privacy.

Officials have contacted the parents of students who were in the classroom where the incident took place, he said. The district is also consulting with its legal counsel as to how to proceed, he said.

School employees are required under state law to report evidence of child abuse, said Stuart Riskin, a spokesman for the county Department of Children and Family Services.

Details of such complaints and related investigations are confidential, he added.

melissa.pamer@sgvn.com

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