A former substitute teacher in Connecticut was arrested after she allegedly slapped a 12-year-old girl at school, and three witnesses corroborated the victim’s version of events.
Connecticut State Police confirmed that Ruthanna Terreri was charged with third-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor on May 6 in connection with an incident that took place on April 17 at Chester Elementary School, according to the New Haven Register.
A trooper responded to the school around 12:40 p.m. after the victim’s mother reported that her daughter had been slapped by a teacher, according to a warrant viewed by the outlet.
Upon the trooper’s arrival, Principal Tyson Stoddard said that Terreri, 64, was the teacher involved in the incident. Stoddard also told investigators Terreri, who worked as a long-term substitute, had been placed on administrative leave and was escorted out of the building following the allegations.
The victim also spoke to police, claiming that Terreri struck her in the head twice with an open palm when she was helping with a live school broadcast. The girl said she was startled by the first slap and that the second one was painful.
“She further stated that Terreri did not speak after either strike and that she did nothing to provoke the incident,” police wrote in the warrant.
Authorities said that the victim did not appear to be injured, and the incident was reported to the state Department of Children and Families.
Three other students that were present at the time of the incident provided sworn statements to corroborate the victim’s claims. Additionally, police said that each student said Terreri hit the student on the head with an open palm.
Two of the witnesses said they saw Terreri strike the victim twice, but a third student said the victim was slapped three times. All of the witnesses said the victim told them the slap was painful.
Terreri met with police on May 6 and denied striking the student. Instead, she claimed that she tapped the child on the head to instruct her when to press a button to move to the next slide during the live broadcast, according to the warrant.
Additionally, Terreri said she initially tapped the victim on the back of her head with her index and middle fingers. However, the student allegedly didn’t respond so she tapped her several more times in the same manner.
“She further stated that the broadcast concluded successfully and that she told the students they did a good job before they left the room,” police wrote in the warrant.
Superintendent Brian White said that Terreri was not employed by the district at the time of her arrest, according to the New Haven Register. However, it is not clear if she resigned or was fired.
Terreri was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and is next scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Middletown on Thursday, May 21, for her arraignment.
It is not currently clear if Terreri has retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Connecticut State Police did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding her arrest.
