Video shows teacher lifting 5-year-old student by his collar, parent sues school board
A parent has filed a lawsuit against a Louisiana school board following an alleged physical assault on a student in 2023 by a former teacher at Ball Elementary School. Security footage of the incident, obtained by KALB, shows the former teacher, Stephanie Robertson, on her phone in a classroom at 3:13 p.m. as students are preparing to leave for the day.
The video first captures Robertson reprimanding a child who attempted to leave his desk. Immediately after, she is seen forcibly throwing another boy to the floor after noticing him sitting on his desk. The boy eventually returned to his desk after spending some time on the ground.
The boy fled after Robertson responded a second time, resulting in Robertson carrying him by the collar of his clothing into the hallway.
Courtland, the boy’s father, claimed the assault continued. However, KALB was unable to independently confirm this because the Rapides Parish School Board (RPSB) refused to provide the security footage from the hallway, citing the lawsuit filed by the parent.
Robertson resigned after the incident, but when questioned by KALB about whether the altercation was the sole reason for her departure, she stated it was one of several factors.
Robertson also told the outlet that she did not consider the incident to be “that serious,” and declined to provide any further comment.
Robertson holds a valid pre-K through fifth-grade state teaching license, effective until 2027, with no penalties or suspensions, per a KALB review.
The Town of Ball police issued a misdemeanor citation to Robertson for simple battery, which has been forwarded to the Ball mayor’s court.
Under Louisiana state law, mayors’ courts lack the legal authority to hear or process juvenile cases. These courts are typically limited to handling minor issues like traffic offenses or breaches of local ordinances.
For years, the misdemeanor case was largely inactive, according to town records.
Courtland told KALB, “They don’t have the resources; they were totally silent.”
“My child is traumatized; he can’t go back to school,” Courtland added.
The misdemeanor charge, originally filed by then-town prosecutor Brian Cespiva, was later handled by his successor, Matt Nowlin. Nowlin transferred the case to the Rapides Parish DA following the father’s demands to escalate the charges to felony cruelty to a juvenile, which state law defines as requiring proof of “unjustifiable pain or suffering.”
Lieutenant Grabowski defended the misdemeanor citation in an email exchange with Courtland and the Town of Ball.
Now, Courtland is demanding accountability, a review of how the Town of Ball handled the case, and transparency from officials.
In addition to the lawsuit filed against the Rapides Parish School Board (RPSB), the father has also initiated legal action against the Town of Ball and the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office concerning how the case was handled.
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