Teacher put 3-year-old boy’s lunch in trash, then ignored his tears, Florida cops say
A teacher is facing child abuse accusations after she tossed a 3-year-old student’s food in the trash, then ignored him as he cried through lunch break, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.
Tonya Gainey, 57, was charged after video confirmed details of the Dec. 10 incident, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
It happened at the WISE Center in DeFuniak Springs, where Gainey was employed with the Exceptional Student Education program for children with disabilities, the sheriff’s office said. DeFuniak Springs is about an 80-mile drive northeast from Pensacola.
“During the investigation, video surveillance shows Gainey slam down the arm of a non-verbal 3-year-old during lunchtime. The video then shows Gainey throwing away the student’s food and ignoring him for the rest of the period,” the sheriff’s office said.
“During this time, the student can be visually seen crying and in pain.”
Details of what prompted the interaction were not released.
School officials learned of the incident the next day, leading to an investigation by the Department of Children and Families, the sheriff’s office said.
“School administrators informed Gainey (Dec. 11) she was being reassigned to remove her from having further contact with students until the conclusion of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Gainey was uncooperative and refused to leave campus eventually leading her to be escorted and ultimately trespassed from school property by the School Resource Deputy. In the midst of her refusing to leave campus, Gainey submitted her resignation via email.”
A warrant for Gainey’s arrest was issued Dec. 13, resulting in her being arrested on a child abuse charge in neighboring Okaloosa County, the sheriff’s office said. She is awaiting transport to Walton County, officials said.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Teacher put 3-year-old boy’s lunch in trash, then ignored his tears, Florida cops say."