Georgia Special Education Teacher Charged With Child Cruelty After Video Surfaces

Amelia Stripling, 71, an award-winning teacher from Georgia was arrested for knocking down a disabled 4-year-old boy on the floor. The special education teacher was charged with a felony and might face between 1 to 10 years of imprisonment.

Blocking The Way

Daily News reports that the incident was caught by a surveillance video. It showed Stripling walking behind the boy, who was standing and seemed to block the doorway. The teacher then kneeing the boy behind, which made the boy crash on the ground.

The boy almost fell onward, close to the classroom door. The teacher then helped him and talked to him with another teacher. She led the boy in the classroom and closed the door.

The Arrest

Sarah Patterson, the boy's mother was shocked after seeing the incident on a video. She reported the scene to the authorities when the school officials told what happened. She decided then to employ a lawyer.

The clash happened last March 17 and Stripling was arrested on March 25. Heavy reports that Stripling was charged with a second-degree cruelty to a child. She was detained in the Tift County Jail and was released afterwards with a bail of $15,000.

The charges given to her will lead to felony, according to Georgia Law. She will face a sentencing of 1 to 10 years imprisonment if found guilty of the felony.

All About Amelia Stripling

Teacher Amelia Stripling resigns after knocking down four-year old special needs student. #specialneeds https://t.co/DvjX6JRC2n #teacher

— DWLassie (@dwlassie) March 25, 2016

Stripling resigned after the unpleasant incident right away. She is no longer teaching at the Tift County School District. She taught in the said school for 22 years.

In 2014, she was given an "Excellence in Teaching Award" by the Tift County Education for Educational Excellence. The awarding ceremony was held at the Tift Rotary Club Banquet.