Veteran Florida elementary school teacher is fired after a colleague tells police she admitted to choking a student during a classroom altercation
- Ava Williams, who worked for the Broward School System for more than 20 years was fired by the district Thursday after an investigation into assault on a pupil
- The teacher was snared when a fellow teacher, Shawony Russell, came forward and claimed Williams had admitted choking the student, despite her denials
- The accusations against Williams are not the first. In 2013 and 2015 she was accused of twisting a pupil’s ear and of hitting students on the back of the head
- The veteran teacher is reportedly planning to appeal the school board’s decision
A veteran teacher in Florida has been fired after she allegedly choked a student in her classroom following an altercation.
Ava Williams, who worked for the Broward School System for more than 20 years was fired by the district Thursday, following several investigations which have been underway since September last year.
The teacher was finally snared when a fellow teacher, Shawony Russell, stepped forward and claimed Williams had admitted choking the student, after the pupil had slammed their desk against the wall in a rage after the class had gone on lunch.
Ava Williams, who worked for the Broward School System for more than 20 years was fired by the district Thursday, following several investigations which have been underway since September last year
In a written statement, a Watkins Elementary School student told investigators: ‘Teacher walked over to me when I pushed in my chair and said, “Do you hear me?” and she choked me.
‘There was no one in the classroom. All the other kids had walked out to the hallway for lunch.’
School officials investigated the complaints internally before going to the police with the concerns – ultimately contacting the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s Child Protective Investigations Section.
However, an officer determined the claims was unsubstantiated, so no criminal battery charges were followed up, KFVS reported.
But a colleague of Williams eventually came forward and said she had in fact carried out the assault.
Russell said Williams ‘admitted to Russell that she did choke [the student].
The accusations against Williams are not the first. In 2013 and 2015 she was accused of twisting a student’s ear and of hitting students on the back of the head. The veteran teacher is reportedly planning to appeal the school board’s decision (Watkins Elementary School)
Williams reportedly denied any physical contact with the student and asked whether marks or fingerprints were noticed, the case notes show
‘Ms. Russell stated Williams told her if anyone questions her about choking the child, she was going to ask if there were any marks on the child’s neck or if fingerprints had been recovered.’
Williams reportedly denied any physical contact with the student and asked whether marks or fingerprints were noticed, the case notes show.
The accusations against Williams are not the first. In 2013 and 2015 she was accused of twisting a student’s ear and of hitting students on the back of the head.
The veteran teacher is reportedly planning to appeal the school board’s decision.