A DC elementary school teacher was reportedly placed on leave amid accusations of abuse, according to a report from the Washington Informer.
Mother Bertina Herndon alleged to the Washington Informer that on Oct. 17, her seven-year-old son entered her car and told her that art teacher Emily Henry lined three children up along a wall, took them into a utility closet and violently shook them. Herndon reportedly said her child has not returned to school.
“My son loved Boone. Since then, he doesn’t want to go to school and do art,” Herndon said. “He wants to be around his parents all day. I didn’t have to worry about these types of questions.”
Herndon alleges that Boone Elementary School and DC Public Schools did not respond to her. She reportedly plans to file a class-action lawsuit against the district. There are reportedly an additional five plaintiffs who allege abuse from the same teacher.
Allegations of child abuse at Boone Elem have placed a spotlight on the controversial Relay class management protocol.
When asked, @dcpublicschools didn’t say if Relay was still in use. My @WashInformer story explores that and the October 17 incident. https://t.co/j4HkEzr3YN
— Sam P.K. Collins (@SamPKCollins) November 3, 2022
The Washington Informer reported that the teacher is on leave pending an investigation. A DCPS spokesperson told the Daily Caller that the district is unable to comment on personnel matters.
“DC Public Schools is committed to the safety and well-being of every student. While we cannot comment on personnel matters, DCPS takes any allegations regarding our student’s safety and well-being extremely seriously,” a spokesman said. “Per our protocols, the incident has been referred to the Metropolitan Police Department and DCPS internal departments for further investigation.”
NBC Washington confirmed that a police report was taken and the incident is under investigation.
The abuse allegations come after Boone Elementary implemented a controversial program that imposed what some call “militaristic tactics” on students. (RELATED: Public School Administrators Ousted After Voicing Concern Over ‘Racist,’ ‘Discriminatory’ Programming, Lawsuit Alleges)
Relay Graduate School of Education practices allegedly foisted “racist teacher-training practices upon black children,” according to two former DCPS employees who filed a lawsuit against the district. Marlon Ray, Boone Elementary’s former Director of Strategy and Logistics, said the program is “racist, militarist” and the “antithesis to critical thinking.”
DCPS’ Chancellor and Boone Elementary’s principal did not respond to the Caller’s request for comment.