A teacher at a Florida charter school is facing child abuse charges months after throwing a shoe at a “misbehaving” student, according to police.
A student told police that their teacher, Sandra Marta Colombo, 61, attempted to throw a shoe at the “misbehaving” pupil — but instead struck another student in the face, according to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News.
Police on Wednesday in Homestead, about 40 miles south of Miami, arrested Colombo on a charge of child abuse with no great bodily harm. The alleged incident unfolded February 28 at The Charter School in Waterstone, a kindergarten to fifth-grade school, authorities said.
Colombo had tossed the shoe to “get someone’s attention,” a second witness told police.
The witness described the shoe to be “like a sandal,” authorities said.
“The victim attended a forensic interview and she disclosed that (Colombo) threw a shoe and hit her on her forehead,” the report says. “The victim stated that she did not have any marks or bruises from the incident.”
“The victim stated that after the incident, (Colombo) said ‘sorry’ and rubbed her forehead,” the arrest report added.
After Colombo was taken into custody, she invoked her right to an attorney, according to the news station.
She appeared in bond court Thursday, where her defense attorney said she had been teaching at the school for 30 years, but had since been fired, NBC Miami reported. It was not immediately clear what grade Colombo had taught.
The Charter School at Waterstone did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
The judge ordered Colombo to stay away from the student and released her without bond.
