A special education teacher in Madison County was arrested Saturday on charges of assaulting a student with a disability.
Karen Yvette Howard, 60, is charged with torture/willful abuse of a child. Howard is a special education teacher at Buckhorn Middle School and the alleged victim was one of her students, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Howard has since been suspended from the schoolThe sheriff’s office said in a post that the school’s resource officer began investigating a complaint on Nov. 19 that Howard allegedly assaulted a student. The school system then provided local law enforcement with statements and video surveillance footage to assist the investigation.“We take allegations of assault on any student very seriously, and we are grateful for the cooperation of the school administration and the swift action taken in this matter,” Sheriff Kevin Turner said in a Facebook post. “We will continue to work closely with the school to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.”
The school immediately suspended Howard, who was arrested four days after the investigation began. No further details were provided regarding the alleged assault or the investigation.
Howard was released on a $5,000 bail about two hours after being booked, according to court records.
