A Baltimore County substitute teacher was removed from class after several of her fourth-grade students said she gave some of the pupils lap dances, it has been claimed.
The alleged incident took place during class at Halethorpe Elementary School on Tuesday.
A parent filed a report with police and complained to school officials after students alleged that the teacher grabbed children and kissed at least one of them on the face, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Sandra Zook, who filed a report with police, alleged that the teacher ‘held my son’s hands above his head, she was sitting on a chair, pulled him toward her, crossed her legs over his legs and kissed him on the cheek twice.’
Zook told police that the woman then ‘proceeded to sit on him and bounce up and down on his lap.’
A substitute teacher was escorted out of Halethorpe Elementary School in Baltimore County on Tuesday after students reported her to the guidance counselor
Police have so far declined to give additional details, saying it is an ongoing investigation.
On Tuesday, the school made robocalls to parents at around 3pm informing them of the incident and asking them to call the principal for more information, according to parents.
‘It was reported to our administration that a substitute teacher allegedly exhibited unprofessional behavior during the class,’ the school said in the robocall.
The school ‘immediately investigated this report and took action to remove the substitute teacher from the classroom,’ according to the call.
A letter was also sent to parents, WJZ-TV is reporting.
Laura Grover, the parent of a 10-year-old girl enrolled in the fourth grade at Halethorpe, said the teacher asked several students to ‘pull out their chair from their desk so she could observe their work.’
The woman then bounced ‘on their laps,’ Grover told the Sun.
Grover said that when her daughter refused to move her chair, the teacher ‘dug her nails into my daughter’s armpits’ and forced her out of the chair.
She said that when she picked up her daughter at the end of the school day, there were no visible marks on her.
Zook and Grover also allege that the substitute teacher asked the students to play a ‘clapping game’ in which they would name body parts, including ‘breasts’ and ‘nipple.’
Lisa Carroll, whose son is enrolled in the class, said that the teacher made nearly 20 students run around in a circle while she pulled out chairs to ‘trip them.’
Carroll told the Sun that her son injured his leg while climbing over desks to hide from the teacher behind a piece of furniture.
The school sent a letter home to parents informing them of the incident after several students say the teacher gave at least one of the children a lap dance
Zook said the teacher grabbed her son’s neck to prevent him from leaving the classroom.
It is alleged that the teacher refused to allow several students to go to the bathroom or to see the guidance counselor.
Zook’s son and another student eventually left the class on their own and alerted the guidance counselor, who returned to the classroom with the assistant principal.
The substitute was then escorted out of the classroom.
Zook said her son ‘hasn’t been back to school yet’ since the alleged incidents took place.
‘He’s scared she’s gonna hurt him because he told on her,’ Zook said.
‘There’s a level of conduct we expect our staff in the classroom to follow,’ school spokesperson Brandon Oland said.
‘It’s completely unacceptable to exhibit any kind of inappropriate behavior in front of students.’
‘Our administration immediately investigated this report and took action to remove the substitute teacher from the classroom,’ said Baltimore County Public Schools’ officials in a statement.
‘We want parents to be reassured that their students’ safety is our greatest interest,’ the district said.
‘We are proud of the students who brought this situation to our attention.
‘If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.’
The teacher has been removed from the pool of substitutes used by the school district.
Officials are now investigating whether she has taught at other schools and if students there witnessed similar behavior.