A first-grade teacher in Oregon went to the school's administration office to report that she “did something inappropriate” to a student during a fit of rage.
Teresa Thomas was teaching at Edward Byrom Elementary School in Tualatin, about 10 miles southwest of the city of Portland, when she allegedly repeatedly hit a child in the classroom last year.
The mother of a seven-year-old boy pulled her son from school after Thomas told the administration he “had to turn himself in” for his behavior.
Now the school district and the teacher are facing lawsuits for negligence and battery.
Thomas later described her behavior to authorities, blaming her reaction on her “motherly instincts.” Sacramento bee reported.
Teresa Thomas, a first-grade teacher in Oregon, went to the school administration to report that she had “done something inappropriate” to a student after she went on a rampage and allegedly beat up one of her 7-year-old students
The boy's mother was the first to alert police and is now suing the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Thomas for negligence and battery damages, seeking a total of $1.4 million.
The lawsuit also notes that the school failed to report the incident to appropriate authorities or the Oregon Department of Human Services.
The child, who has ADHD and another “documented disability,” was preparing to give a presentation to classmates about his December 2023 “student of the month” award, KGW8 reported.
When he stood on the “wobble chair” – a stool that doubles as a sensory device, Thomas allegedly attacked the child after telling him to get off.
The complaint filed Oct. 1 said the child was first hit on her “lower back” as she begged her classmates for help and begged the teacher to stop, The Sacramento Bee added.
He then “curled up into a ball on the floor.”
The boy testified that the teacher hit him at least six times before he managed to get out of her reach and then “cowered under the desk.”
Thomas is also accused of demanding that the child pick up items he knocked onto the floor while trying to escape.
A 7-year-old boy was allegedly beaten after standing on a “wobbly chair” (pictured) – a stool that also serves as a sensory device for students
The complaint said a seven-year-old boy who was named “student of the month” last December “has not been the same since the incident in his classroom.” “He is no longer interested in school and has lost his childhood joy of life,” reports The Sacramento Bee.
The lawsuit states that Thomas “knew immediately that what she did was wrong,” Oregon Live reported.
Before she finally decided to come clean to the administration, however, she placed the shocked first-graders in a “remedial circle” to talk about what had just happened.
She then asked another teacher to observe her classes while she gave her report, but in subsequent conversations with school officials, she allegedly “downplayed” her actions, claiming the beating was more like a “loving touch.”
Thomas later told authorities that her “motherly instincts” kicked in when she witnessed the child acting dangerously while standing on a stool.
After alerting authorities, the boy's mother spoke to a Tualatin police officer who took photos of his “backside where Thomas hit him” and also spoke to her son.
Jennifer Massey, public information officer for the Tualatin Police Department, confirmed to McClatchy News that the officer wrote a report on the attack and submitted it to the state Department of Human Services.
Luke Dahlin, an attorney representing the child and his mother, told McClatchy News in an email that “this situation has been devastating for the boy and his family.”
“Parents teach their children what adults they can trust, which was an outrageous breach of trust that left a lasting mark on the boy.”
Corporal punishment – the use of physical force to cause pain in order to punish or correct a child's behavior – was banned in Oregon public schools in 1989.
The boy's mother was the first to alert police and is now suing the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Thomas for negligence and battery damages, seeking a total of $1.4 million
The state then passed a statute affirming the 2013 ban.
However, the complaint indicates that corporal punishment is the exact same method used by Thomas when she decided to inflict pain on the child in an attempt to discipline him.
Following the October complaint, Thomas was placed on administrative leave, but has since returned to the school as a full-time teacher.
Alex Pulaski, the school district's interim director of communications, noted that the district “rigorously screens” all of its employees before they are placed in the classroom to ensure they are eligible for the job and able to provide children with a safe and supportive space.
“We cannot comment on pending litigation,” Pulaski said. “The Tigard-Tualatin School District is committed to student safety and we take any allegations involving student welfare very seriously.”
It is still unclear whether the Oregon Department of Human Services has opened an investigation.
“The teacher remains in the classroom with no apparent corrective action, while the boy has transferred schools and continues to receive counseling,” Dahlin told McClatchy News.
According to Oregon Live, Thomas has been licensed to teach in Oregon for 20 years.
However, no criminal charges have been brought against her as of yet.
