A teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District has been charged with injury to a child and now the children’s families have hired attorneys.
Benbrook police investigated an incident at Westpark Elementary School where a teacher was accused of grabbing two students, a boy and girl, by their throats.
Police identified the suspect as Gail Patterson. She was arrested this week and charged with two counts of injury to a child.
The families are working with the Varghese Summersett law firm where attorney Ty Stimpson says when you send a child to school, you expect them to be nurtured and protected, not victimized by their teacher.
“This is a profound betrayal of trust,” Stimpson said in a statement. “While it can be challenging to take legal action against a school district, Fort Worth ISD has established policies that must be followed.”
“Fort Worth ISD confirms that a teacher at Westpark Elementary School was placed on administrative leave in August following an incident involving a student,” the district said in a statement. “The teacher has now been arrested and remains on administrative leave as the legal process continues.”
The families’ attorney says they are calling for the teacher to be terminated and permanently barred from any school district.
A website associated with Westpark lists her as working in the Special Ed department.