Florida teacher accused of 'dragging' 7th grade student out of classroom, arrested: Officials
Seminole County Sheriff's Office
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida middle school teacher has been arrested under suspicion of child abuse after she allegedly grabbed a student's arm and "dragged" him out of the classroom and into the hallway, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
Seminole County teacher arrested
What we know:
Fada Concepcion is a 7th grade science teacher at Tuskawilla Middle School and has been employed with Seminole County Public Schools for 29 years, the district said.
She was arrested on Oct. 1 for suspected child abuse after a student said he was "dragged" by his arm from his desk, out of the classroom, and into the hallway, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's office.
The incident was captured on the school's surveillance cameras.
The teacher told deputies that she had "no recollection" of dragging the student and maintained that she escorted him out of the classroom, according to the arrest report.
What they're saying:
"We take all allegations involving our students' safety and well-being seriously and will respond quickly. This teacher is currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement and the Office of Professional Standards in accordance with district policies and procedures." - Seminole County Schools
Attorney: ‘Dragged’ vs. ‘escorted’
The other side:
Concepcion appeared before a judge on October 2, where her defense attorney pushed back against the severity of the charge.
"The student was misbehaving, and my client used the word ‘escorting’… the detective used the words ‘drag,’" her attorney stated during the hearing. "Basically, grabbed the child by the arm and took him out of the classroom – and there's no indication in this probable cause affidavit that the student was injured in any way, no bruising on the arm, no other type of injury. Child abuse requires more than just touching a child."
The judge agreed to a bond reduction, lowering her bail from $5,000 to $1,000. After the ruling, Concepcion flashed a double thumbs-up to her attorney before leaving the courtroom.
What we don't know:
It's not clear what led to the interaction between the student and the teacher. FOX 35 has requested a copy of the surveillance video of the alleged incident.
What's next:
The teacher is scheduled to be back in court in November.
The Source: This story was reported by FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie using information from the arrest affidavit, statements made by Conception's attorney during her bond hearing, and a statement received from Seminole County Public Schools.