A Harrison Elementary School teacher was arrested Friday after police were called to the school about an incident involving an 8-year-old student.
Debra Jeanne Wiley, 58, of 2901 Glad St., Warsaw, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 7:07 p.m. Friday and faces a Level 6 felony charge for battery to a person less than 14 years of age.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday in Kosciusko Superior Court I, on Friday Warsaw police were called to Harrison Elementary, 1300 Husky Trail, Warsaw.
Upon arrival, the officers met with Matthew Deeds, principal of the school; Sheila Howe, director of human resources for WCS; and Dr. David Robertson, assistant superintendent of WCS. According to court papers, the group told police that they wanted to report an incident that had occurred earlier that day between Wiley and an 8-year-old student. The incident in question had been reported by several teachers and was immediately investigated, court papers state. Deeds told police that the incident was captured on video, and he provided that video to police.
In the video, according to the affidavit, is an incident that lasted over 8 minutes outside of Wiley’s classroom. The video begins with Wiley, who appears to be telling the child to sit down, as the child stands with the child’s back against the wall.
“Wiley abruptly grabs the ankle of (the child), causing (the child) to fall on (the child’s) bottom. Numerous times during the video, Wiley can be seen aggressively grabbing (the child’s) ankles, pulling (the child’s) feet out from under (the child) and causing (the child) to fall hard on (the child’s) bottom,” the affidavit states. “At one point during the incident, Wiley grabs (the child) by one ankle and drags (the child) approximately 7 feet across the carpeted hallway to a position outside Wiley’s room where she wants (the child) to sit. Several times, Wiley uses her hands and the weight of her body to pin (the child) to the ground, while attempting to force (the child) into the position Wiley wants. During the incident, Wiley appeared upset with (the child), and (the child) appears uncomfortable with the force used by Wiley.”
According to court papers, when police asked Wiley about it, she admitted to grabbing the child’s legs and pulling them out from under the child to try to get the child to sit down.
Wiley’s bond was set at $5,250, and a no contact order was issued.
