COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -- A Collier County teacher is accused of assaulting one of her students
47-year-old Barbara Margaron is charged with battery after deputies say she slapped a student in the face at Big Cypress Elementary.
It happened Tuesday while the child, who is blind and uses a cane, was eating lunch.
"There was a witness who saw it, came forward to the principal reviewed the video tape and called the sheriff's office," said Collier County Schools Spokesperson Greg Turchetta. A witness told deputies the slap was so loud, it could be heard across the cafeteria. Margaron was a frequent subsitute teacher in the district, but school leaders say her hours were scaled back after she was investigated for striking another student in March. No charges were filed in that case.
"We didn't drop it as a district, there were certain re-trainings done at that time, access was restricted and she was in this position."
Turchetta said Margaron's employment status is up in the air pending the outcome of the investigation.
"We deeply regret that it happened for one, our school principal acted swiftly the processes that were in place worked."
It worries nearby resident Daniel Delanoval that an authority figure could lose their cool on a child.
"We trust children in the community to teachers to take responsibility of building their future, getting them ready for life as they grow up, getting hit for no reason is not something I believe builds trust."
Turchetta says all teachers and staff, regardless if they are subsitutes or permanent teachers are give background checks before they are hired.
