Three Delaware elementary school teachers were arrested this week on child abuse and neglect charges over their treatment of children in a special needs classroom.
Marissa Johnson, 26, was charged with 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child; Makayla Lomax, 31, was charged with child abuse, 9 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and offensive touching; and Morgan Donahue, 21, was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Smyrna Police Department.
The department said the investigation began in February and “revealed an alleged pattern of troubling behavior” in the classroom.
“Investigation revealed that employees working in this classroom would allegedly throw objects at the students, yell at them, and call them names,” the department said.
Lomax, police said, is alleged to have hit one child in the face and sprayed the same student with a water bottle, both as forms of discipline. The investigation also accused Johnson and Donahue in a 2022 incident that saw them feeding spicy Takis chips and hot sauce to a child with “a known digestiive disability.”
The defendants were given varying bonds and all were slapped with no contact orders.
The Smyrna School District said it reported the allegations to police when they surfaced in February and that “most” of the three teachers were no longer employed by the district, Law&Crime reported.
“Student safety is of paramount importance to the Smyrna School District. We will continue to evaluate and improve all aspects of school safety. We will also continue to support our school community through this difficult time,” the statement said.
The three defendants are due in court for a preliminary hearing on November 15.
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[Featured image: Marissa Johnson, Morgan Donahue, and Makayla Lomax/Smyrna Police Department]
