STAFF REPORT :::
Cassandra Clarice Barlow, a teacher in the Griffin-Spalding County School System, has been arrested after allegedly striking two students with a computer charger.
Spalding County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Kennedy Road Middle School Wednesday, Feb. 16, following a report that a teacher had struck a student.
Criminal investigators responded to the school and GSCSS administrators were notified. The administrators immediately provided classroom video to the investigators.
“The video shows that, as the teacher and students were coming into the classroom, a student was sitting behind the teacher’s desk in her chair. The teacher grabbed a wired computer charger from her desk, swung the plug-in end of the charger at the student sitting in the chair, missed him, struck another student in the forehead, and he fell to the floor,” said Sheriff Darrell Dix. “As that student is laying on the floor, the teacher is seen swinging the cable two more times at the student sitting in her chair as he covers up to keep from being hit. The first student that was hit, then stands up, places his T-shirt over his forehead, and both teacher and student leave the classroom. The student that was hit received a small laceration and had swelling to his forehead where he was hit.”
Authorities say Barlow reported to the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday night, where she was interviewed about the incident.
“Ms. Barlow voluntarily came to the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office last night and was interviewed by Investigators. GSCS Executive Director of Administrative Services, Anthony Aikens, came to the Sheriff’s Office to assist in the investigation on behalf of the school system and monitored the interview as it was being conducted,” Dix said. “Ms. Barlow was fully cooperative and forthcoming about the incident. This morning we consulted with District Attorney Marie Broder’s Office, and State Court Solicitor Patrick
Shepherd to determine the appropriate criminal charges based on the findings of the investigation to this point and video evidence.”
Barlow has been arrested and charged with one count of battery and one count of simple assault. Barlow appeared before a Spalding County Magistrate judge Thursday afternoon and her bond was set. Barlow currently remains in custody in the Spalding County Jail.
“Ms. Barlow was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the sheriff department investigation and the school system’s internal investigation,” said GSCSS Executive Director of Communications and Partnerships Adam Pugh.
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