Teacher strikes student with computer charger during class, Georgia deputies say
A Georgia teacher accused of hitting a student in the face with a computer charger has been arrested and placed on leave, authorities say.
Cassandra Barlow was charged with battery and simple assault after authorities say she swung the cord at a student, missed and ended up striking another student at the beginning of class Wednesday, Feb. 16, according to the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.
Barlow is an eighth grade math and science teacher at Kennedy Road Middle School in Griffin, the school’s website shows.
Deputies were called to the school Feb. 16 on a report that a student had been hit by a teacher, authorities said in a news release. The incident was reportedly captured on classroom video, which school officials provided to deputies.
The video showed the teacher and students arriving to class and finding another student seated behind the teacher’s desk in her chair, according to Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix. That’s when the teacher grabbed the charger from her desk, “swung the plug-in end of the charger at the student sitting in the chair, missed him (and) struck another student in the forehead,” causing him to fall to the floor.
“As that student is laying on the floor, the teacher is seen swinging the cable 2 more times at the student sitting in the chair as he covers up to keep from being hit,” Dix said.
The student who was hit suffered a small cut and had swelling on his forehead, deputies said.
Deputies said Barlow voluntarily went to the sheriff’s office Wednesday to discuss what happened and was “fully cooperative” with the investigation. Authorities consulted with the district attorney’s office, which made the decision to charge Barlow with battery and simple assault, the release said.
She appeared before a judge Thursday, Feb. 17, who set her bond. Barlow’s name wasn’t listed in the Spalding County Jail records as of Friday, Feb. 18.
A spokesperson for Griffin-Spalding County Schools said Barlow will remain on leave pending investigations by the sheriff’s office and school district.
Spalding County is about 40 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Teacher strikes student with computer charger during class, Georgia deputies say."