New Jersey teacher suspended, accused of hitting students with ruler

IRVINGTON (WABC) -- A first-grade teacher at an elementary school in New Jersey has been removed from the classroom and indefinitely suspended after multiple students said she hit them with a ruler.

The alleged incidents happened at the Berkeley Terrace Elementary School in Irvington.

Shakeem Baker is one of the parents who lodged a complaint, telling Eyewitness News that his 6-year-old daughter Sanaa was struck.

Baker said the girl came home from school and told him she was struck after misbehaving. He said his daughter is traumatized, afraid to go back to school. And being six years old, she feels sad that her teacher got in trouble.

Her father is upset after finding out his child was hit by a ruler and punched by that teacher. "The teacher hit her with a ruler on her leg, and then took her in the closet and punched her on the lip," said Baker.

Baker and other parents have also filed police reports. "Each kid said that the teacher hit them with a stick. They called it a stick but it really was a ruler," said Baker. "It hurts me because now I have to deal with my daughter coming home and she's crying, saying Daddy it was my fault. I said it's not your fault, the person who did that you is just a bad person."

School superintendent Dr. Neely Hackett says that the teacher in question was immediately removed from the classroom and suspended with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Dr. Hackett says the allegations were that the teacher was using the ruler in an intimidating manner and that she had hit students with it.

School officials have met with all the parents along with a Division of Child Protection and Permanency caseworker, and the parents were made aware of the allegations.

"We are devastated at these allegations and will get to the bottom of it," Dr. Hackett said. "And at that time, a decision will be made after an intense and fair investigation. If these allegations are true, there will be consequences for the teacher."

The investigation is active and ongoing.