REDFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Parents of students at Washington-Parks Academy in Redford Charter Township, say they want answers after a substitute teacher allegedly hit their children with a ruler while in class.
Lakisha Mason and Robin Davidson say this kind of behavior is inappropriate, especially by a teacher in a classroom who’s supposed to be educating their kids.
"I was furious, I was very concerned," Robin said. "My daughter called me crying hysterically. My child was hit. She even still says my head where she was hit at is sore."
Lakisha added that the incident happened to several students, and that the substitute teacher was escorted from the school building.
Jeremy Mason and Khole Davidson, the children of Lakisha and Robin, respectively, say their teacher came up to them with a ruler, then suddenly hit them.
"He allowed us to go to the office to sharpen our pencil, then when we came back he started hitting us with the paddles or ruler, I mean" Jeremy said.
"I got hit on the side of my head by a ruler, some of my friends got pulled by the hair," Khloe added.
Lakisha and Robin both filed police reports with Redford police.
The school sent us a statement that reads in part:
We received news of an allegation made by students about misconduct on the part of a substitute teacher at one of our schools. We are currently conducting an
investigation into this allegation.
Robin says the school needs to do better background checks on employees.
"They need to do a thorough background check on everybody that they have coming into the school," she said.
Lakisha and Robin say they’re children need to be nurtured in school and not shown any type of violence or physical abuse.
"You can’t just go around paddling kids because they didn’t do something that they were supposed to do," Mason said.
Davidson adds, "If I don’t feel safe with him around my child, I don’t feel safe with him around anybody's kid; too much is happening out here already."
Both parents say the next step is to get a lawyer and press charges.
