Teacher in Warren County accused of assault in altercation with 8-year-old student

FRANKLIN — An altercation involving a teacher and an 8-year-old boy at the Warren County Educational Services Center has led to the filing of a criminal charge and the teacher’s firing.

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Kathryn Spitznogle, 28, is accused of misdemeanor assault stemming from the May 5 incident at the Warren County ESC Laura Farrell campus on Park Avenue, according to the county prosecutor’s office.

According to the police incident report, Spitznogle had asked the boy to write a letter of apology to another student because the boy was “having a behavior in the classroom.”

Police, after reviewing school video footage, determined that Spitznogle escorted the boy into the hallway and placed him in the yellow square tiles on the floor. The child ran back into the classroom as the teacher tried to close the classroom door.

She then appeared to push the boy back to the square on the floor and put out her foot as the boy ran toward her.

In the video footage, Spitznogle is seen pushing the boy with one hand.

The boy approached her again, this time taking a swing at her as she leaned against a classroom door. She pushed him away again and again, each time with more force, as he continued to approach her, according to the police incident report.

On the third push, she used enough force to cause him to fall on the floor.

No injuries were reported, according to the police report.

Ohio ESCs serve pre-school special education students, K-12 special education students, incarcerated and at-risk youth, drop-outs and those at risk of dropping out.

After the incident, Principal Wiley Collett and Program Director Erica Thompson interviewed Spitznogle, who told them she was frustrated at that point of the incident, that the child’s head was near her crotch and no one was in her room who could help her with him.

Spitznogle initially was placed on leave, then terminated, according to the police report.

The county prosecutor’s office, after reviewing the evidence presented by police and the school, determined that the teacher would be charged in Franklin Municipal Court with misdemeanor assault. At her arraignment May 12, the teacher pleased not guilty and was released on her promise to return to future hearings involving the case.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 30, according to online municipal court record.

News Center 7 and whio.com have reached out to Principal Collett and the teacher’s attorney, David Chicarelli, for comment. We will update this developing report as information warrants.

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