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Special ed teacher in Attleboro arrested, accused of slapping 2 students: 'Profound betrayal'


The teacher has been identified as 57-year-old Susan Martin, according to reports.

A Massachusetts special education teacher was arrested for allegedly slapping two students at an elementary school, district officials said.

The teacher was arrested on Monday and charged with assault and battery, Attleboro Public Schools Superintendent David Sawyer said in a statement emailed to Paste BN. The teacher allegedly slapped the students on Nov. 26 while in a classroom at Peter Thacher Elementary School in Attleboro, Sawyer's statement continued.

Attleboro, once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World," is about 40 miles from Boston.

Police identified the teacher as 57-year-old Susan Martin, a licensed special education classroom teacher, CBS News and local outlet WCVB reported. The students who were allegedly hit by Martin were a 5-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl, according to the Boston-based TV station, per court documents.

"The allegations represent a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators and the values we hold dear as a public school district," Sawyer's statement reads. "I would like to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. We have taken this situation very seriously since it was brought to our attention, and we are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners in their ongoing investigation."

It is unclear if Martin has legal representation as of Tuesday.

Teacher placed on administrative leave

When the alleged incident occurred on Nov. 26, Martin was "immediately placed on administrative leave" pending an internal investigation by the district, according to Sawyer.

The district also notified Attleboro police and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families about the allegations, the superintendent wrote in his statement.

Martin slapped the autistic girl in the face at 11:55 a.m. on Nov. 26, and then pushed and slapped an autistic boy at 1 p.m. that same day, according to the court documents obtained by WCVB.

"Martin reached over (victim’s) shoulder, and slapped (victim) with an open hand on her cheek making an audible noise. (The victim) held her cheek and started crying,” the court documents read, per the TV station.

Martin was eventually arrested at her Kingston, Massachusetts home on Monday after a trip to Florida, according to WCVB.

Paste BN has reached out to Attleboro police for more details.

Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.