White Teacher Who Choke Slammed Child And Locked Students In Classroom Keeps Her Job
A white elementary school teacher who was arrested on charges of false imprisonment and cruelty to juveniles remains employed by her school district despite being accused of manhandling a female child.
Last month, Melissa Blank, of Louisiana was booked on Feb. 21 into the West Baton Rouge Parish Jail on 15 counts of false imprisonment, and one count of cruelty to juveniles and simple battery, reported The Advocate.
Blank’s arrest happened after an adult witness, who was in the classroom during the alleged assault, filed a report with the Brusly Police Department. According to the criminal complaint, Blank assaulted an unruly student during math class.
On Feb. 7, Blank was asking her class to complete a problem when one female student was not paying attention. Blank then yelled at the student, which made the child become upset and swat learning materials at Blank, according to the arrest warrant.
Blank then went up to the student and grabbed her by the face/neck. She then slammed the student against the closet doors, the witness told police.
The witness said Blank yelled, “You aren’t going to touch my things, you aren’t going to act like this!”
When the child continued to act out, Blank started pinching the child’s shoulder, bruising the child’s skin, said the witness to police.
The witness said she attempted to remove the student from the class but Blank stopped them and said “she needs to learn she can’t act like this and she’s not going to touch my things!”
The witness claims Blank then used three chairs to block the door and keep the other students from leaving the classroom. The police report does not say how long the students were held in the room.
West Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Wesley Watts confirmed on Friday that Blank, 37, was still employed by the school district but said she has been moved from Brusly Elementary to Lukeville Upper Elementary School.
Although Blank has not commented on the arrest or the assault, it is clear the actions of a child drove her to respond physically. Blank's assault should be a great testament to why teachers should not have guns in the classroom.
