A teacher in Miami Gardens, Florida, is now facing child abuse charges after she allegedly used a ruler to hit a 5-year-old student in the face.
Chrishawn Nicholson, 25, has been charged with child abuse over the alleged incident, which happened in November 2024 at Aspire Preparatory Academy, according to NBC Miami, citing a police report. The incident left a cut near the child's eyebrow.
Nicholson initially told the child's mother that the 5-year-old got the cut while he was playing with a pencil. The boy was given three stitches. However, staff members at the hospital told her that a pencil was unlikely to have caused the injury.
Child Claims Teacher Hit Him with Ruler
The arrest report noted that the child told his mother and investigators that his teacher had hit him with a ruler. The mother reported the incident to the authorities, and the Florida Department of Children and Families contacted child protective services to investigate. The child then demonstrated to authorities how Nicholson allegedly hit him with a ruler.
The mother also showed authorities a video from when she went to school to pick up her son, where Nicholson said she hit the child with a ruler.
"There's a video where she did say, 'I did pop him,'" a prosecutor said, as quoted by WSVN.
Teacher Charged with Child Abuse
Nicholson turned herself in on January 9 and was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
She appeared in court last Friday for her bond hearing. Her attorney claimed they found no probable cause and said the incident was just a "hiccup." Her attorney also asked the judge to continue allowing her to work with children.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer said she would not order Nicholson to stop working her profession, adding that the incident could be "isolated." However, she was ordered to stay away from the child.
Glazer has sent her bond to $5,000.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453. You can also make a report to www.childhelp.org.
