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A Texas substitute teacher has been fired after she allegedly forced soap down a student's mouth, per ABC 13.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday (January 23) at Humble ISD's Cambridge School, which caters to students with special needs.
LaShae Celestine said she watched footage from inside a classroom of her 13-year-old daughter, Harmony, who she noted has Down syndrome and limited speaking ability, being assaulted by a substitute teacher.
"You can't unsee that video. Like, you really assaulted my baby by putting soap in her mouth," Celestine said.
Harmony asked the substitute teacher a question. The substitute allegedly interpreted one of Harmony's comments as a swear word.
The teacher then instructed Harmony to wash her mouth.
"My baby is like, 'No,' fearfully, and she's like, 'Wipe your mouth,' and (Harmony's) like 'No.' So, then, she decided to take it upon herself (to) walk over to my baby and put the napkin full of soap into my baby's mouth," Celestine said.
The school principal confirmed that the incident occurred in an email to Celestine, adding that the substitute hit Harmony.
"Harmony hit the substitute across the face to stop her from putting soap on her mouth. The substitute hit Harmony back," the principal wrote in the email. "A paraprofessional in the classroom intervened by having the substitute leave the classroom and she made sure Harmony was OK."
Celestine also accused the school of not being immediately transparent about the situation. The incident occurred around 10 a.m., but Celestine said she wasn't informed until 1 p.m.
Officials said the sub was no longer employed with the district.
"We are shocked and outraged by the actions taken by the substitute teacher. All school staff should care for students in a respectful manner that honors the partnership with their parents. The district has reported the incident to Child Protective Services and Humble ISD Police are investigating."
Celestine said: "That video showed me she ran out of patience that day, and if you don't have the patience to work in a classroom with special needs kids, disabled kids, or kids, period, you need to find yourself another profession."
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