A first-grade teacher in Oregon went to the school administrative office to report that she “had done something inappropriate” to a student during a temper tantrum.
Teresa Thomas was teaching at Edward Byrom Elementary School in Tualatin, about 10 miles southwest of Portland, when she allegedly repeatedly hit a child during class last year.
The seven-year-old boy's mother removed her son from school after Thomas told management she “needed to turn herself in” for her conduct.
Now, the school district along with the teacher are being sued over allegations of negligence and assault.
Thomas later described her behavior to authorities, blaming the reaction on her “motherly instincts.” The Sacramento Bee reported.
Teresa Thomas, a first-grade teacher in Oregon, went to her school administration office to report that she “had done something inappropriate” to a student after she flew into a rage and allegedly hit one of her 7-year-old students.
The boy's mother was the one who first alerted police and is now suing the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Thomas for damages related to negligence and assault, seeking $1.4 million in total.
The lawsuit also notes that the school did not report the incident to appropriate authorities or the Oregon Department of Human Services.
The child, who has ADHD and other “documented disabilities,” was preparing to give a presentation to classmates about the “student of the month” award in December 2023, KGW8 reported.
When he stood up on a 'wobble chair' – a stool that also serves as a sensory device, Thomas allegedly attacked the child after ordering him to get down.
The report filed Oct. 1 says the child was first struck in the “lower back” continuously as he begged for help from his classmates and begged the teacher to stop, The Sacramento Bee added.
He then 'curled up into a ball on the floor'.
The boy reported that his teacher had hit him at least half a dozen times before he managed to escape her reach, where he then “cowled under a table.”
Thomas is also accused of demanding that the child pick up items she had dropped on the floor during her escape attempt.
The 7-year-old was allegedly beaten after climbing onto a 'wobble chair' (pictured) – a stool that also serves as a sensory device for students
The seven-year-old boy, who was named “student of the month” last December, “has not been the same since the incident in his classroom,” the complaint states. “He is no longer interested in school activities and has lost his childlike joy in life,” The Sacramento Bee reported.
The suit claims that Thomas “knew immediately that what she did was wrong,” Oregon Live reported.
But before she finally decided to come clean to the administration, she put her shocked first-year students in a “restorative circle” to talk about what had just happened.
She then asked another teacher to watch her class while she reported herself, but allegedly 'played down' her actions when she spoke further to school staff, claiming the spanking was more like a 'love pat'.
Thomas later told authorities that her “maternal instincts” kicked in after witnessing the child act dangerously while standing on the stool.
After alerting authorities, the boy's mother spoke with a Tualatin police officer who took photos of his “backside where Thomas hit him” and also spoke with her son.
Jennifer Massey, public information officer for the Tualatin Police Department, confirmed to McClatchy News that the officer wrote a report about the attack and forwarded it to the state Department of Human Services.
Luke Dahlin, the 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 which adults they can trust, and this was an outrageous breach of trust that left permanent damage to the boy.”
Corporal punishment – the use of physical force to cause pain for the purpose of punishing or correcting a child's behavior – was banned in Oregon public schools in 1989.
The boy's mother was the one who first alerted police and is now suing the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Thomas for damages related to negligence and assault, seeking $1.4 million in total.
The state then approved a statue that reaffirmed the ban in 2013.
But the complaint states that corporal punishment was the exact path taken by Thomas when he decided to cause pain to the child in an attempt to discipline.
Thomas was reportedly placed on administrative leave following the October complaint, 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 vets” all of its employees before they are placed in the classroom to ensure they are qualified for the job and capable of providing a safe and supportive space. for children. .
“We cannot comment on pending litigation,” Pulaski said. “The Tigard-Tualatin School District is heavily invested in keeping students safe and we take any allegations involving student well-being very seriously.”
It remains unclear whether or not the Oregon Department of Human Services has launched an investigation.
“This teacher is still in the classroom with no apparent correction, while the boy has changed schools and remains in counseling,” Dahlin told McClatchy News.
Thomas has been licensed to teach in Oregon for 20 years, Oregon Live reported.
But so far, she has not been criminally charged.
