A teacher at a Florida Christian school has been accused of “forcefully slamming” a student with special needs multiple times, according to police.
Nikol Marie Rodriguez, 29, of Miramar was arrested on Thursday. She was allegedly caught on classroom surveillance video slamming a student with special needs at Peace Christian Academy in Hialeah.
Police said the incidents occurred on March 4, according to Local 10.
The child was 8 years old at the time of the incident and has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. The boy is “able to comprehend simple instructions, but has difficulty articulating more than a simple request,” according to police.
The boy lives with his mother and is not known to be violent, police said.
An incident report, seen by Local10, notes that Rodriguez had been the boy’s primary educator since August 2024 and was responsible for his “care, supervision, and services essential for the child’s physical and mental health.”
Surveillance video from the classroom allegedly shows an interaction between Rodriguez and the boy just before 11 am on March 4, during which the teacher “appears to physically assist the victim by grabbing hold of the victim’s left arm” and then “grabbing the victim’s right arm and bicep area, spinning the victim in an aggressive manner.”
Later, around 12:45 pm, the footage allegedly shows the boy sitting on the floor, “not in any way displaying physically threatening behavior.”
Despite this, the incident report claims that Rodriguez restrained the boy by pulling his arms behind his back, causing the boy to struggle against the teacher. Police said the boy appeared “to be in agony,” and noted a nearby student reacted by covering his eyes and ears, Local10 reports.
Rodriguez then allegedly was seen “forcefully slamming the victim’s upper body and head onto the classroom floor” and further restraining the boy by pinning his arms.
After the struggle, Rodriguez also allegedly shoved the boy into a table as he was trying to stand up.
Police said that Rodriguez did not provide care for the boy after the incident and did not seek medical assistance.
The boy’s mother reportedly found bruises and scratches on his chest and arm, as well as a “small puncture wound” on his bicep.
In an internal report, school described Rodriguez’s actions as “supportive de-escalation” intended to prevent the child from causing harm and said that the teacher was trying to “provide physical support” by restraining the child, according to Local 10.
Rodriguez declined to provide a statement to police through her attorney, the outlet added.
She has been charged with one count of child abuse without great bodily harm.
Rodriguez is being represented by Christopher Pracitto. He has requested that her bond be lowered, but the request was denied.
She posted a $5,000 bond on Saturday and has been ordered to stay away from the child.
The Independent has requested comment from the school and from Rodriguez’s defense attorney.
