A Manatee County middle school classroom turned into a criminal case after deputies say a teacher urged a 12-year-old to slap another student during class at Lee Middle School. The teacher, identified in charging documents as 64-year-old Judith Clark, was pulled from the classroom immediately after the incident and has since been arrested. Deputies say the student delivered what they described as a gentle slap and will not face any criminal charges.
According to WFLA, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office says Clark asked the class, "Who wants to slap him?" before directing one student to hit another. Deputies told the station the student gave a light slap across the other child's face and confirmed the juvenile would not be charged. Detectives later secured an arrest warrant for Clark, according to the sheriff's office.
Arrest and school response
District officials told WFLA that school administrators removed Clark from the classroom after the incident and said she had no further contact with students. Deputies then took Clark into custody on that warrant and booked her on a charge of "child abuse without great bodily harm," according to the sheriff's office. The reported question "Who wants to slap him?" appears in the agency's account of what happened in the classroom.
Context in Manatee schools
The case lands in a school district that has already been under a microscope over how it handles staff misconduct. The Bradenton Herald reported late last year on a series of incidents that raised concerns about the School District of Manatee County's response to allegations involving employees. More recently, a 2025 arrest of a teacher on sexting charges drew coverage from broadcasters including WWSB. In many of these cases, local reporting shows officials tend to reassign or remove staff while criminal investigations play out.
What comes next
Clark's case will now move through the Manatee County court system as prosecutors review the sheriff's evidence and decide how to proceed. The School District of Manatee County has not offered any additional public comment beyond confirming that Clark was removed from classroom duties. As the legal process continues, details of hearings and filings are expected to appear in Manatee County court records.
