Two individuals, a teaching assistant and a school administrator, are facing charges in relation to the mistreatment of a student.
The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office has initiated an investigation into reported student abuse at Woodlawn Middle School, starting on April 26.
According to court documents, a teacher’s assistant at Woodlawn, William Michael Jackson, 55, from Haw River, allegedly grabbed a student’s neck and applied pressure, resulting in visible bruising. The district has confirmed that Jackson, who was a 10-month employee, has officially left his position as of Thursday. He is facing charges of misdemeanor child abuse and misdemeanor assault on a child under 12.
The principal of Woodlawn, Thomas William Kazimir, 53, of Mebane, is facing charges for failure to report crimes against a juvenile.
Jackson has been employed by the school system since 2020. Kazimir has been a dedicated member of the district since 2000, starting as a teacher and later being promoted to assistant principal in 2013 and principal in 2023. His suspension will take effect on June 13.
Six ABSS employees have been charged with crimes against children in the past 13 months, according to recent allegations as reported by MyFox8 News.
In May 2023, a teacher from Southern Alamance Middle School faced serious charges, including indecent liberties with a student and indecent liberties with children. Later on, a few months down the line, the assistant principal at the same school faced charges for engaging in a sex act with a student. Both individuals are not currently working for the district.
In a shocking turn of events, the principal at Eastlawn Elementary has been charged with a serious felony involving a statutory sex offense. Months later, the deputy superintendent faced charges for not reporting the incident. There has been a recent development at Eastlawn, as the principal has been suspended and the deputy superintendent has resigned, effective June 30.