Hialeah Christian School Teacher Charged With Child Abuse

A first-grade teacher at Horeb Christian School in Hialeah, Florida, is facing child abuse charges involving three of her students, according to police. Beth Ann Nemec, 47, is accused of crossing the line in how she disciplined children in her class. Nemec turned herself in after learning of the charges and was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility, where she bonded out Tuesday afternoon.

Police were called to the school, located at 795 W 68th Street, on Monday after the parents of three first graders raised complaints with school officials about Nemec. Parents who bring concerns to those in authority over children are acting on the principle of protecting the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9). Nemec was charged with seven counts of child abuse without great harm.

According to Nemec’s arrest report, one student told police she put a hand over his mouth to keep him from talking and would flick his cheek with her finger when she felt he was talking too much, which he said happened on several occasions. A second student told police that Nemec hit him on the buttocks because he was sitting on his feet in his chair, and that she once struck the top of his head and covered his mouth to stop him from talking. He also said she flicked his fingers when he raised his hand. These are the students’ accounts as recorded in the report; they have not been tested in court.

The parent of the third student said she noticed a bruise on her son’s left arm and scratches on both arms and asked him what had happened. The report states he told her Nemec had grabbed him tightly and that when he said she was hurting him, the teacher replied that she did not care. When police questioned Nemec about the accusation, she reportedly said, “I didn’t know I scratched him.”

Lt. Carl Zogby, a spokesman for the Hialeah Police Department, described the injuries as “not serious” but said the conduct amounted to battery under Florida law. “You are not supposed to touch a child in the state of Florida, an unauthorized touch,” Zogby said. “The teacher is not authorized. The school is not authorized. The parents can’t give that authorization to the school.”

Neighbors offered differing impressions. Neighbor Maria Accona said she was shocked by the charges, describing Nemec as someone who appeared kind with her children and neighbors, and said she had never seen bruises or scratches on children who played at her home. Neighbor Chris Bloom said he would not be able to offer an opinion on Nemec either way. Nemec’s 90-year-old mother-in-law said she could not believe the charges, saying Nemec loves students and wants them to excel.

In a statement, school principal Cindy Montes De Oca said, “At Horeb Christian School, the safety of our children and staff is paramount. Our school has zero tolerance for any type of behavior that would endanger the safety of our students. We are very saddened by the allegations against Mrs. Nemec, and are fully cooperating with the authorities as well as conducting our own internal investigation.” The principal said Nemec became a full-time staff member this school year after serving as an on-call substitute the previous year, and that all teachers are vetted according to the Florida Department of Children and Families’ protocol before employment. The school said it would continue cooperating with authorities throughout the process.

Source: Read the original report