A foster parent's call to Barnesville police last week set off a criminal case against a paraprofessional at Lamar County Primary School, after she reported that her 4-year-old foster child had been struck in the face at the school. Police have charged 41-year-old Amber Nicholson of Barnesville with simple battery and third-degree cruelty to children in connection with the allegation.
According to barnesville.com, the foster parent contacted the Barnesville Police Department on Oct. 26 to report that her foster child had been struck in the face by a paraprofessional at the primary school. Investigators opened a probe that same day and identified the paraprofessional as Nicholson. She turned herself in to the Lamar County Detention Center after being charged, the outlet reported.
As FOX 5 Atlanta reported, the aide worked at Lamar County Primary School, and the 4-year-old foster child was allegedly struck in the face there. Police described the matter as an isolated incident involving a single child, and said the paraprofessional herself reported it to the school principal, after which the child was evaluated by medical professionals.
School District Pulls Employee From Campus
Lamar County Schools said it acted quickly once the allegation surfaced. The district said it initiated an internal review, removed the employee from campus and notified the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, per the same barnesville.com report. The district also said the employee had not returned to campus since being removed.
The school system said it is cooperating fully with both Barnesville police and DFCS as the investigation continues, according to a separate barnesville.com report. No further charges were expected at the time of the initial report, the outlet noted.
Context From Statewide Educator Discipline Data
The case comes amid a broader rise in educator ethics cases across Georgia, though that statewide data does not establish any trend specific to Lamar County or to allegations involving paraprofessionals. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission opened 2,337 ethics cases against Georgia educators during fiscal year 2024, a 29% jump from the year before, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. The outlet also reported that roughly 30% of the commission's ethics cases each year from 2019 through 2024 were classified as Professional Conduct Standard 9 violations.
Lamar County Primary School has faced a student-battery case before: a former pre-K teacher there was sentenced to 36 months of probation earlier this year following a simple battery case, according to a barnesville.com report. That case involved a different employee and is unrelated to the current allegations against Nicholson.
