A teacher in Florida faces arrest and charges of child abuse following an incident where she reportedly discarded a student’s lunch, leaving him in tears as his peers enjoyed their meals.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Tonya Gainey, 57, was caught on surveillance cameras on Dec. 10 having a physical altercation with a 3-year-old student whom they described as being “nonverbal.” Gainey held a position at the WISE Center, contributing to the Exceptional Student Education program designed for students with disabilities.
In the incident being discussed, Gainey reportedly “forcefully brought down the arm” of the young boy during lunchtime at school. According to police, the video depicted Gainey purportedly “discarding the student’s food and disregarding him for the remainder of the class.” Authorities reported that the child “is visibly crying and appears to be in distress.”
On December 11, school officials were informed about the situation concerning Gainey and alerted the Department of Children and Families. Authorities informed Gainey about an impending investigation regarding her purported conduct towards the student, indicating that she would be “reassigned” to ensure no further interaction with that student or others, according to police reports.
Gainey did not take this information positively. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office reported that after being informed of her reassignment, Gainey did not cooperate and declined to vacate the campus, which resulted in her being escorted off school property and subsequently trespassed by the School Resource Deputy. In this meeting, Gainey announced her resignation via email.
A criminal inquiry has been initiated regarding the allegations against Gainey, with the school’s collaboration. The school reached out to the parents of Gainey’s previous students via phone, and a medical assessment was carried out on the child who was reportedly affected by the alleged abuse. The details of his condition remain undisclosed.
On December 13, authorities issued a warrant for Gainey’s arrest, leading to charges of one misdemeanor count of trespassing and one felony count of child abuse. She has been freed on a $5,000 bond and is now in the process of awaiting her trial. Her legal representation status remains uncertain.