Educator Of Special Needs Students Accused Of Child Abuse

A para educator at the Jean O’Dell Learning Center was arrested for child abuse Tuesday, Bartow police said. Police said the educator was abusive to three separate students during class sessions.

Shelby Faulk, 31, of Winter Haven, has worked at the Jean O’Dell Learning Center, a school for special needs children, for about four years. All of the victims are students at the learning center. Faulk is employed by the Polk County School Board. She has been charged with negligent child abuse without bodily harm and false imprisonment of a child.

Her actions were observed in part by a school nurse and a classroom teacher, police said. The school nurse reported these actions which led to the investigation.

The teacher, identified as Julio Torres, 54, of Lakeland, did not report the actions of the para educator as required by law and was subsequently arrested for failure to report child abuse.

Last December, Faulk was working as a para educator and tasked with the care of juvenile students. One of the juvenile students wears a special jacket with D rings in order to secure him to a seat on the school bus for health reasons. Out of frustration in the classroom, Faulk used the student's medical use jacket and pinned the student to the ground by placing a chair leg through the D rings and then sitting on the char, police said.

Although this did not injure the juvenile student, it rendered him unable to move. She held this student down for an extended period of time, police said. Also in December, Faulk repeatedly pinched and pushed another juvenile student as a discipline measure because the student was "acting out."

In January, Faulk repeatedly pushed another juvenile student multiple times with both hands, police said. This caused the student to fall to the floor. No injuries were reported on any of the students.

Police said none of the actions taken by Faulk were approved by school administration. Protocols are in place if the need arises to restrain students, but Faulk's actions were not approved protocols, police said.

Police said Torres was present in the classroom when all of Faulk's actions occurred and he failed to report them.

Bartow Police detectives are working with the Polk County School Board staff to determine if there are any other incidents involving Faulk and Torres, police said. At this time, there are no indications that any other abuse has occurred, according to police. The parents of the children are being notified by school administration.

Jacqueline M. Byrd, superintendent of the Polk County School District, released the following statement on the arrests:

The allegations against these two employees are inexcusable and such behavior does not belong in our community’s centers of learning.

I am immediately moving forward with the process of terminating their employment based on the information provided by the Bartow Police Department. My recommendation will go before the School Board for approval.

I expect educators and all district employees to treat our youth with dignity, respect and compassion. Anything less is unacceptable.

The Jean O’Dell Learning Center serves some of our most vulnerable students who need special care and help to achieve their goals. I am greatly distressed to hear accusations that employees either caused harm to students or failed to report it.

Student welfare must remain our highest priority, and I will take steps to ensure students are given appropriate care and that a safe learning environment is maintained.

Initial steps include that district administrators will be stationed on the campus of the Jean O’Dell Learning Center to review the operation of the school and provide more oversight. In addition, our Human Resources department continues to conduct an internal investigation. Extra training will be provided to the Jean O’Dell Learning Center staff members on the proper methods of interacting with special needs students.

Polk County Public Schools continues to cooperate fully with our partners in law enforcement in their investigation. We appreciate their quick, professional response.

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