A substitute teacher was taken into custody Monday after police say she punched a 10-year-old fifth-grade student during class at an Odyssey Preparatory Academy campus in Buckeye. Authorities identified the substitute as 54-year-old Sarah Short. Officers say she left the school before they arrived, and she was later arrested at her home in Goodyear and booked into jail.
The alleged assault reportedly happened in the back of the classroom and was reported to the Buckeye Police school resource officer assigned to the campus. According to KTAR, Short faces one count of aggravated assault on a minor, a class 6 felony, and was arrested at her Goodyear residence.
Where it happened
The incident took place at Odyssey Preparatory Academy's Apache Road campus, which the school lists at 6500 S. Apache Road in Buckeye. The Odyssey Family of Schools operates multiple Buckeye–Goodyear campuses, according to Odyssey Preparatory Academy.
Charges and legal context
Short was booked on one count of aggravated assault on a minor, a charge that prosecutors can classify in multiple ways under state law. Under Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. 13-1204), aggravated assault may be elevated based on factors such as the victim's age, use of a weapon, or the severity of injury, and the statute allows different felony classifications depending on those circumstances. Criminal filings and any upcoming court dates will determine how the case is ultimately handled in Maricopa County.
Local background
The arrest lands in the middle of a run of high-profile personnel investigations in the Buckeye–Goodyear area in recent years, with local outlets chronicling prior misconduct probes involving staff at area campuses. Reporting by ABC15 and community publications has previously spotlighted separate cases tied to schools in the West Valley.
Buckeye police say the investigation into this classroom incident remains active and that more details may be released as the case moves through the county system. As reported by KTAR, Short was booked on January 26; court records will indicate whether formal charges are filed and when an arraignment is scheduled.
