An incident of child abuse by a school employee has led to an arrest in Clay County. As reported on a social media post from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the employee in question, Pearl Gyamera, who works as an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Behavioral Assistant at W.E. Cherry Elementary School, was arrested on charges of Child Abuse Without Great Harm after allegedly kicking a student during an attempt to manage the child's unruly behavior.
According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the event unfolded on Tuesday, when the student, who was working with a speech therapist, began kicking his legs. Gyamera was supposed to calm the student down, but instead she allegedly kicked the student back three times, questioning the child on how it felt and if it hurt him. Despite the nature of the incident, the victim did not suffer any injuries. The school principal at W.E. Cherry Elementary promptly reported the incident leading to an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.
Gyamera, who is 47 and has been employed with Clay County School District since 2016, has been placed on administrative leave following the arrest. Throughout her tenure, she has maintained a clean slate with no previous disciplinary record in the school district and no past criminal history. Interviews conducted by the sheriff's office included statements from adult witnesses who were present during the altercation.
The investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office wraps up with Gyamera facing serious charges, marking a swift response by both the Clay County educational system and law enforcement to safeguard the welfare of students. The swift action denotes a zero-tolerance policy for staff misconduct, especially when it concerns the safety and wellbeing of children in educational environments. Gyamera's employment status remains in limbo as administrative leave typically precedes further employment decisions by the Clay County School District.
