Teacher Accused Of Putting Handicapped Student In Trash Can

MOORESVILLE, NC — An Iredell County teacher has been arrested and charged with two counts of assaulting a handicapped person after students at Cloverleaf Elementary said she picked them up and put into trash cans at the school, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Robin Lorrain Johnson, 51, of Statesville was arrested Oct. 17 and charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault on a handicapped person, which are considered misdemeanors, ICSO said.

According to the sheriff’s office, a therapist at the school filed a report on Sept. 12 about possible assault on a handicapped child after “multiple children reported being picked up, and placed in a trash can or recycle bin.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the alleged assaults occurred during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years when Johnson was the teacher assigned to a classroom for exceptional children at the elementary school, which is located at 300 James Farm Road in Statesville.

“The evidence gathered indicates on at least two occasions, Johnson placed a handicapped student into a trashcan,” ICSO said.

Johnson’s unsecured bond was set at $20,000 and her first court appearance is set for Nov. 4.

This is the second report in as many months of mistreatment of special needs students in county schools.

In late August, a Mooresville Graded school district teacher resigned after backlash from a video she posted on social media shaming a special needs student who was not able to attend a class field trip. The special education teacher, who was not identified by the school district but was wearing a Mooresville High School blue devils lanyard around her neck, was initially suspended after the video posted on Instagram caught the attention of community members, Fox 46 reported.

SEE ALSO:

• Mooresville Teacher Resigns After Shaming Special-Needs Student