Jack Talley, 55, was arrested for allegedly pinning a pinning a 4-year-old boy to the floor. The child, Braden Blackmon, was reportedly throwing a tantrum in the classroom. The Georgia teacher was employed as the district’s behavioral support coordinator.
Witnesses who are also employed by the Paulding County School District reportedly saw the preschool student pinned to the floor by the teacher, and alerted administrators, Channel 11 News notes. According to witness accounts, Braden was in the midst of some type of outburst when the educator chose to physically restrain him on the classroom floor.
Paulding County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Talley on simple battery charges, according to Examiner. Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Cpl. Ashley Henson, had this to say about the incident:
“After a lengthy investigation and subsequent interviews of all the witnesses, it was determined that Mr. Talley acted inappropriately in the restraint of the child.”
The Georgia school teacher surrendered to law enforcement officers on Monday and was later released on a $1,300 bond.
Theri Blackmon, the preschool student’s mother, had this to say during an interview with Channel 2 Action News:
“The school protected itself fist, before it protected my child.”
The upset mother is reportedly not satisfied with the actions taken by the school regarding the matter. It is not currently known what Jack Talley’s employment status is at Northside Elementary School. Associate Superintendent at Paulding County School District, Brian Otott, stated that Talley has been reassigned from his classroom duties pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.