A former Wake County Public School System special-programs instructional assistant is facing a criminal charge after investigators say she kicked a student at a Raleigh middle school in March, an allegation that has rattled Carnage Middle School and raised fresh questions about student safety.
Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Jyl Crockett. Officials say she turned herself in and was processed at the Wake County Detention Center on Thursday, and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains open as prosecutors review the case.
According to ABC11, the report to law enforcement originated at the school, and Crockett had been working in special programs at Carnage Middle School. Court documents reviewed by ABC11 allege Crockett kicked a student in the midsection. Investigators charged her with one count of assault on an individual with a disability, and the outlet reports that she turned herself in Thursday and was booked into the Wake County Detention Center. The sheriff’s office has released few additional details.
Legal context
Under North Carolina law, an assault on an individual with a disability can be treated either as a misdemeanor or, if it is aggravated or causes serious injury, as a felony. State code specifies that a simple assault on a person with a qualifying disability is a Class A1 misdemeanor, while aggravated assaults on such individuals can be prosecuted as Class F felonies, according to the North Carolina General Statutes.
Pattern in Wake County schools
The case arrives against a tense backdrop in Wake County, where allegations involving school staff and students with disabilities have stirred public concern in recent years. In 2023, an East Garner instructional assistant was charged after court documents alleged she hit and dragged a 9-year-old student with a disability across the floor, as reported by WRAL. More recently, ABC11 covered a May 2025 arrest of a Carver Elementary special-education teacher accused of assaulting multiple students with disabilities.
Those earlier incidents drew criticism from parents and advocates and renewed scrutiny of training and oversight for special-program staff. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office says investigators are continuing to probe the latest allegation but has not released further information. Court filings in Wake County will show any scheduled appearances and next steps as prosecutors decide how to proceed.
