PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Parents at a Pinellas County school have questions after police arrested a now former employee on a charge of child abuse on a special needs student.
The incident happened late last month, but many parents are just finding out about it.
Jennifer Payne, 44, worked at New Heights Elementary School before being charged.
Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to the Pinellas County school district about the arrest and asked why parents hadn't been informed of last week's arrest for an incident that occurred last month.
Hours after our call, parents were alerted, but that brings no comfort to some parents..
Kimber Banks said she knew about the arrest for days after police told her it involved her 3-year-old nephew. Banks has custody of the child.
Banks said other parents should have been notified days ago.
"There’s a big lack of communication," Banks said. She said her nephew is nonverbal and autistic.
According to an arrest report, Payne was working at the school as a medical behavioral assistant. Two teachers reportedly witnessed her grab the child by the hair and drag him to his seat, the report said. The force of her grabbing his hair was so intense that a witness said the boy's feet left the ground.
The details are gut wrenching for Banks, who is raising the child and his other two siblings with special needs.
"I know that I’m probably their last chance, and the fact that I trusted you and left him in y'alls care," she said. "That’s the biggest disappointment right there."
Jalinda Williams' 3-year-old daughter is in that same class.
"They are non-verbal. They are in an ESE program, so a lot of those kids in there, they don’t communicate like other children do," Williams said.
She says she also talked to police and said the thought of this happening to any child, let alone a child with special needs, brings her to tears.
"Even though she has a diagnosis, she’s still a person," Williams said of her child. "She’s still a human. She still has feelings, and it’s hard because you know she can’t speak up for herself and I wasn’t there."
Banks says she’s hoping justice is served in the case and hopes her trust is restored in those looking after her loved ones.
School district officials say Payne resigned from her position at the school and that the school is working in conjunction with St. Pete Police on the investigation.