A kindergarten teacher at the IDEA River Bluff School in Arlington has been arrested and is facing multiple charges of child abuse. Terri Baldwin, 39, was charged with five counts of child abuse without great bodily harm and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after an incident that occurred within her classroom. Details of what transpired are largely concealed in the arrest report, with the exception of a statement suggesting Baldwin became "stressed out" when a child, referred to as Victim 1, did not comply with her instructions, according to News4JAX.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office pointed out that along with the five victims of the incident, seven witnesses were identified. In a testimony obtained by First Coast News, a witness claimed Baldwin took one crying child into a bathroom, and upon exiting, the child appeared "more upset than when they went in." Additionally, the same victim was reportedly chastised by Baldwin for lying. Baldwin has since been dismissed from her role at the school following the arrest.
This incident comes amidst another arrest for child abuse involving a teacher in the same week. Cyrina Agnes Hogan, a teacher at Baymeadows Christian Academy & Preschool, was charged with one count of child abuse without great bodily harm, Jacksonville Today reported. She was released on bail shortly after.
A concerning aspect of the case at IDEA River Bluff is an account from a parent, who said her son suffered a head injury after being held upside down by his ankles, a detail shared with her by another teacher who had witnessed the occurrence. Following Baldwin's arrest, the charter school communicated to parents that she is no longer employed there, indicating the institution's prompt action in response to the allegations.
