Lisa Allison: Texas Teacher Accused Of Punching Second-Grader, Telling Him ‘I’m Sick Of You’
A Texas teacher is accused of punching a second-grader, a charge she denies even though surveillance-camera footage appears to clearly show her striking the young boy, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.
Lisa Allison, 48, has been placed on indefinite leave from Landis Elementary School, in suburban Houston, and is now facing felony child abuse charges.
On October 12, surveillance camera footage captured the altercation between Landis and the unidentified second grader. In the video, which has not been released to the public, a young student can be seen sitting on the floor of a hallway in the school, when a teacher — identified as Allison — can be seen leaning over him and appearing to talk to him.
The boy then stands and picks up his backpack and tries to walk away, but Allison is seen allegedly grabbing his hand, according to KHOU (Houston). The boy then tried to jerk his hand away. Allison then allegedly grabbed him by the back and punched him with a closed fist. She then allegedly forced the boy to the floor and sat on top of him. School administrators then responded to the altercation and ordered the Texas teacher to get off of him.
When speaking to school officials, the boy said the the whole incident began in the classroom, when Allison allegedly told him “I’m sick of you” and made him leave the classroom.
Allison told investigators that the boy was making noises and being disruptive in class. Then, she says, he went into the hallway and began kicking lockers. It is not clear, as of this writing, whether or not surveillance cameras can confirm whether or not the boy was indeed kicking the lockers. Allison told investigators that she went into the hallway to escort him to the principal’s office. She told investigators that she “didn’t remember” hitting him, but she did admit to “holding” him down on the floor.
In a statement, Alief Independent School District confirmed that a teacher had been placed on leave following allegations that she’d assaulted a student.
“The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has charged Alief employee Lisa Allison with injury to a child following an investigation by Alief ISD Police and district administrators. Allison was immediately placed on leave when allegations were brought to the attention of campus and district administrators and will not return.”
Even though the incident took place on October 12, criminal charges were only filed this week. Allison faces one count of felony injury to a child. The extent of the child’s injuries has not been made public.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that a teacher has been accused of assaulting a student. As The Southeast Missourian reported in October, Cape Girardeau Central High School Roman D. Smith allegedly grabbed a student’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back at a football game. A criminal complaint alleges that Smith’s eyes were bloodshot and that he smelled of alcohol.
Back in Texas, parents of kids at Landis Elementary School are talking to the media about the incident. Parent Mito Garcia, speaking to a KHOU reporter Wednesday after school, said that if the allegations against the teacher are true, they’re shocking.
“That’s crazy, I don’t think they should be doing anything like that, if it did happen.”
Similarly, parent Diana Rodriguez said that she expects teachers to be better equipped to deal with disruptive students.
“I mean, if you’re a teacher, you go to school for this. To be able to know you have to have patience.”
[Featured Image by VectorLifestylepic/Shutterstock]
