Ex-Teacher Fined For Mistreating Bristol Autistic Student

BRISTOL BOROUGH, PA — A former special education teacher in the Bristol Borough School District who mistreated a 7-year-old student with autism has been found guilty of harassment, authorities said.

Stephanie Kleinfelder, 26, of Levittown, was found guilty last week for a December 2025 incident inside a classroom at Snyder-Girotti Elementary School.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office’s Safe Schools Advocate secured the conviction of Kleinfelder, who was ordered to pay a $150 fine for the summary charge of harassment involving physical contact.

Kleinfelder was placed on administrative leave following the incident in December, charged by summons by the Bristol Borough Police Department in February, and then resigned in March.

According to testimony at a recent hearing, Kleinfelder was conducting testing with the student when the child became agitated and attempted to strike her.

In response, Kleinfelder grabbed the child’s wrist and forced his hand to strike his own face twice while yelling at him “How do you like that?” authorities said.

Two classroom aides testified that Kleinfelder’s actions violated standard crisis prevention and de-escalation protocol.