An 80-year-old employee at Deltona Lakes Elementary School was arrested after allegedly slapping a student.
The arrest was reported by FOX 35 Orlando. The employee was accused of slapping the student.
Deltona Lakes Elementary sits at 2022 Adelia Blvd. in Deltona and serves roughly 730 students in Pre-K through fifth grade as part of the Volusia County Schools district, according to Niche. The school opened in 1982 to relieve overcrowding at nearby Enterprise Elementary and was the first elementary school built in unincorporated Deltona before the community formally became a city, per historical records from Volusia County Schools.
Florida Law on Child Abuse
Florida Statute 827.03 classifies simple child abuse without great bodily harm as a third-degree felony, carrying a maximum of five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine, according to information published by Richard Hornsby Law.
Individuals arrested on felony charges in Volusia County are booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach and must appear before a judge within 24 hours for a first-appearance hearing to set bond and release conditions, according to Volusia County Government. It remains unclear whether bond has been set in this case, or whether the Volusia County Sheriff's Office or Volusia County Schools has released further statement details.
Administrative Fallout and District Oversight
Volusia County Schools operates an Office of Professional Standards, headquartered in DeLand, that investigates alleged violations of educator ethics and state statutes and manages formal administrative actions and resignations across the district, per the district's own description of the office. The employee's resignation amid the allegations would typically fall under that office's purview, though the criminal case remains separate from any internal district action.
Another Incident at a Volusia Campus
In August, Hoodline reported that a mom punched a teacher and principal during dismissal at Turie T. Small Elementary School, resulting in a felony battery charge.
The allegations against the Deltona Lakes Elementary employee remain unproven in court.
