Elementary school teacher is accused of kicking six-year-old special-needs student leaving him with bruises after the boy refused to finish his applesauce during lunch
- Florida special-education teacher Holly Eicher, 62, charged with child abuse without great bodily harm involving a six-year-old student
- Witnesses say Eicher got into a confrontation with the boy after he refused to finish his applesauce and became uncooperative
- Child screamed at the teacher and kicked her, and Eicher allegedly responded by restraining his leg with hers and kicking him back
- The boy cried out in pain, spit in Eicher’s face and spilled his applesauce, which teacher then made him clean up, according to affidavit
- Student’s parents contacted the authorities after seeing bruises and abrasions on his body while giving him a bath that night
A veteran elementary teacher from Florida has been arrested for allegedly kicking a six-year-old student with special needs during a lunchtime incident, leaving the child with bruises on his body.
Holly Eicher, 62, has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm stemming from her confrontation with a student at Spirit Elementary School in Deltona on Valentine’s Day.
According to a charging affidavit, cited by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the boy’s parents contacted Volusia County Sheriff’s Officer after noticing ‘slight bruises and abrasions’ on their son’s shoulders while giving him a bath on Friday evening.
Florida special-education teacher Holly Eicher, 62 (left and right), has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. She is accused of kicking a six-year-old student
The incident took place during lunch at Spirit Elementary School in Deltona on Valentine’s Day
They said the boy did not have those marks on his body when he had left for school that morning.
On Tuesday, a day after the President’s Day holiday, a deputy responded to the school and interviewed witnesses.
One witness reportedly recounted how the six-year-old became uncooperative during lunch after Eicher instructed him to finish his applesauce.
The boy began screaming at the teacher and allegedly kicked her. Eicher then responded by wrapping her leg around the six-year-old’s leg, in a technique used to restrain students.
Eicher was also seen kicking the child under the table, according to witness accounts, causing him to cry out in pain. The six-year-old spit in the teacher’s face and spilled his applesauce, which Eicher then made him clean up, according to the affidavit.
After the child calmed down, he was taken back to class. His parents said they were not notified that their child had been struck.
Witnesses say Eicher got into a confrontation with the boy after he refused to finish his applesauce and became uncooperative. Eicher allegedly wrapped her leg around the child’s leg and kicked him, prompting him to cry out
Eicher was arrested after the student’s parents noticed bruises on his body while giving him a bath and called the sheriff’s office
Eicher was arrested on Tuesday and later released on $1,500 bail. She is due back in court for her arraignment on March 11.
In the wake of the incident, she has been suspended with pay from the school district, where she has worked as an exceptional student education teacher for 18 years.
District records indicate that Eicher was previously accused of physically abusing students in 2015 and 2019, but in both cases, investigators concluded that the allegations against her were unsubstantial.
According to her Facebook page, Eicher earned a Master’s degree in special education from Nova Southeastern University. She has three grown children of her own.