Florida Teacher Accused of Slamming Autistic Child’s Head; School Calls It ‘De-Escalation’

A school teacher in Florida has been charged with child abuse after she was accused of “forcefully slamming” the head of an 8-year-old student with autism on the floor. The incident occurred despite the student not showing any aggression toward her.

A 29-year-old school teacher from Florida was arrested and charged with child abuse after she slammed the head of a child with autism. The teacher, identified as Nikol Marie Rodriguez, was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime. The incident occurred on March 3, at Peace Christian Academy in Hialeah.

Rodriguez has been overseeing the students in school since the beginning of the 2024 school year. The victim is an 8-year-old boy who has autism. He can follow simple instructions but has trouble articulating his needs, according to authorities. The incident was captured on a surveillance camera that police obtained after issuing a subpoena.

According to the complaint, the teacher was with the victim along with two other students in a classroom. The victim was sitting on the floor and not facing the right direction, so Rodriguez spun him in an “aggressive manner”, according to police. A few minutes later, the student moved to a bean bag and sat there.

“While the CCTV did not provide audio, the victim was not in any way displaying physically threatening behavior. The victim was simply sitting in place,” police said in the document.

Rodriguez went behind the boy and allegedly pulled his hand behind his back. The 8-year-old boy tried to escape the teacher's grasp and “appeared to be in agony,” according to police. Rodriguez began struggling with the victim and was allegedly seen “forcefully slamming the victim’s upper body and head onto the classroom floor.”

Rodriguez also forcefully placed the boy in a supine position as he was kicking his legs, according to police. She then allegedly pinned the student's arm to the ground with her leg. Eventually, Rodriguez let the victim go but allegedly shoved him into the table when he tried to get up.

The victim’s mother noticed the injuries on his body while bathing him. The 8-year-old allegedly had a small puncture wound on his right bicep, as well as “finger bruise marks” on his left arm and scratches on his chest.

An internal school report obtained by authorities said Rodriguez was using a “supportive de-escalation procedure” because of the escalating behavior of the 8-year-old boy, according to the complaint document.

Rodriguez’s attorney echoed that claim at her bond hearing. “It was the child who was acting out, and she was in the process of restraining,” the lawyer said.