Columbus City Schools teacher who allegedly kicked student stays employed

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A teacher accused of kicking a 5-year-old student is still teaching with Columbus City Schools, a district representative said.

The teacher and the CCS Board of Education are currently being sued by the child's parents, alleging the teacher kicked their student, an elementary schooler who has autism. CCS Chief Communications and Engagement Officer Letrece Griffin confirmed the teacher is still working at the district under a one-year limited contract but refused to comment on where or why.

According to the most recent records published in 2023 by the Ohio Department of Education, the teacher is still registered at the same elementary school where the incident occurred. However, the teacher is not listed online under that school's directory, nor any other in the district with a functional staff page.

Griffin also refused to comment on the lawsuit outside of clarifying that the district did not represent the teacher in any case.

Despite this, the district did file a response Aug. 8 against the lawsuit's complaint, denying many of the allegations listed. This included CCS denying the teacher instructed another teacher to kick the student and that she picked up the student "like a football" and carried him away.

However, NBC4 got access to the disciplinary documents for the teacher in question. In the written reprimand that served as the punishment for the incident, the school alleged she "told one of [her] colleagues to 'kick' an autistic student" and that she "picked up him and carried him to the office, which is seen on video tape."

The written reprimand served as the teacher's punishment because she had no prior disciplinary actions, the district said. However, the teacher does have prior allegations of drinking on the job that surfaced in the lawsuit's documentation of the incident.

This is even referenced in the teacher's disciplinary documents, with one district official referring to the educator as "the same teacher who was caught drinking" to identify her to HR representatives. It is also cited under the "prior discipline" portion of the teacher's record. However, there is no disciplinary record of that instance in itself and no record of disciplinary action.

Griffin refused to comment on these allegations. But the district still played its hand in its response to the lawsuit complaint.

"CCS admits that there was a single occasion of the type alleged and denies the relevance of said allegations," the district said in court documents

Initially, CCS representatives told NBC4 they would not comment until they were served the complaint. Despite filing court documents in the case, the district still would not respond to requests for comments outside of those documents as of Tuesday night.

"Columbus City Schools Board of Education respectfully prays that plaintiffs’ complaint be dismissed at their costs and that Columbus City Schools Board of Education recover its costs, expenses, and any other relief as determined by the court," the district said in its complaint response.