The teacher Chrisshawn Nicholsonof 25 yearsfaces charges of child abuse after allegedly hitting a 5-year-old boy with a ruler at school Aspire Preparatory Academy of Miami Gardens, Florida. The incident occurred last November 19, 2024and the evidence presented includes videos and statements that seem to confirm the assault. Although the teacher was arrested on January 9, 2025the judge allowed her to continue working as a teacher under the premise that it could be an isolated case, reported WVSN.
According to police documents, Nicholson called the boy’s mother on Nov. 19 to inform her that her son he had accidentally cut himself playing with a pencil. However, when he was taken to the hospital, doctors determined that the injury, located near his eyebrow, was not consistent with a pencil accident. The boy required stitches due to the depth of the cut.
During the trip to the hospital, the minor confessed to his mother that the teacher had hit him with a ruler, a version that he later reiterated to the investigators. In addition, he showed how he had been beaten during an interview with the Florida Department of Children and Families, reported NBC South Florida.
The boy’s mother presented a video taken shortly after the incident, in which her son claims that Nicholson hit him with a ruler. Additionally, during the investigation, another video was revealed in which Nicholson allegedly admits to having hit him, saying: “I did pop him,” various media outlets reported such as CBS.
Miami Gardens police requested Nicholson’s presence on January 9, the day she was arrested after refusing to testify during questioning. She was transferred to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centerwhere a bail of $5,000, according to authorities.
The case came to court on January 10where the judge Mindy S. Glazer decided not to ban Nicholson from working in his profession, arguing that the incident could be isolated. However, she was ordered to stay away from the minor and the school. Aspire Preparatory Academy, according to reports from various local media.
During the hearing, the boy’s mother expressed outrage, stressing that the injury was dangerously close to her son’s eye. “If I had hit him in the eye, he would have been blind for the rest of his life,” he declared in an interview with WSVN.
For his part, Nicholson’s defense attorney minimized the events, calling them a “small mistake” and requested a release without bail due to the teacher’s financial difficulties. However, the judge rejected this request and maintained bail at $5,000, the media reported.
Until now, the school authorities of Aspire Preparatory Academy They have not issued official comments on the case. The lack of statements has raised questions about safety measures in classrooms and protocols for reports of child abuse, local media reported.
The child’s mother expressed that the impact of the incident is not only physical, but also emotional. According to her, her son has been traumatized by the experience, leaving scars that go beyond the visible wound. “This was not just a minor blow; “This wound required stitches and has left a permanent mark,” he said in statements to WSVN. The case remains under investigation, and the authorities review the evidence presented while the educational community remains attentive to the outcome.
