A 49-year-old teacher was arrested on the grounds of Miller Elementary School in Huron Township on Thursday after allegedly pushing a 10-year-old student to the ground inside a self-contained classroom for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Huron Township police responded to the school at approximately 1:10 p.m. following a reported assault, and the teacher, who lives in Flat Rock, was taken into custody on the spot.
According to CBS Detroit, the alleged shove happened inside one of the school's self-contained ASD classrooms, spaces designed to give students with autism specialized behavioral and developmental support. Huron Township Fire Department medical personnel evaluated the child on-site and confirmed the student sustained no significant physical injuries, per a Facebook post detailing the department's response. FOX 2 Detroit separately reported that the incident involved a teacher at a Huron Township school accused of pushing a student with autism.
District Places Teacher on Leave Amid Joint Investigation
Huron School District placed the teacher on administrative leave immediately following her arrest, while detectives prepare child abuse charges for review by the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the station's report states. Miller Elementary Principal Andrew Tomasek sent a letter to school families confirming the staff member was taken into custody, writing that the district is conducting a full joint investigation with police while prioritizing student safety. School administrators reportedly spoke with the victim's family before notifying the broader school community, per the same account.
It also remains unclear exactly which degree of child abuse charge prosecutors will pursue.
What Michigan Law Allows Teachers to Do
Michigan law draws a hard line around physical force in classrooms. Under Section 1312 of the state's Revised School Code, corporal punishment is strictly prohibited in public schools, with physical force permitted only in narrow situations such as quelling a disturbance, acting in self-defense, or preventing a student from harming themselves, according to the Michigan Legislature. A separate statute, the state's Seclusion and Restraint law enacted in 2017, says physical restraint in schools is for emergency situations and should be used as a last resort, per the Michigan Department of Education.
If charges are filed, potential legal outcomes would depend on the charges pursued.
Miller Elementary is part of the Huron School District in Wayne County, and the investigation into Thursday's incident remains ongoing as the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney's Office reviews the case.
