Hillsborough County Sheriffs arrested former Auburn wide receiver Prechae Rodriguez for child abuse Monday after he allegedly punched a 9-year-old autistic boy, according to police records.
Rodriguez allegedly punched the 9-year-old in the face after the child struck him while he was working as a behavior support teacher at Eisenhower Middle School in Gibsonton, Florida in early February, per the Tampa Bay Times.
Hillsborough County Sheriffs arrested the 39-year-old Monday and released him on a $2,500 surety bond, according to police records.
His punch allegedly caused the child, who is non-verbal, to fall to the ground, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The child received treatment immediately, school district spokesperson Tanya Arja told the Tampa Bay Times.
Former Auburn Tigers WR Prechae Rodriguez has been arrested for punching a 9-year-old autistic child in the face, per @WFLA
Rodriguez, a behavior support teacher at the Eisenhower Exceptional Center, has been charged with child abuse after allegedly punching an autistic… pic.twitter.com/gZE2ps3fuD
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 22, 2024
His school district fired him after the alleged incident, Arja told the Times.
“We are deeply disturbed by the charges,” Arja said. “The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority.” (RELATED: Disney Blasted With Allegations Of Discrimination After Outright Horrendous Treatment Of Autistic Man)
How many different kinds of scumbag do you have to be to ever lay your hands on a child, let alone a non-verbal autistic boy. Because he hit you? I know autistic people can be a little more difficult to deal with than your average person but how difficult could a 9-year-old possibly be that you feel the need to strike back?
What a pathetic excuse for a man.