Charleston Co. substitute accused of pushing student, grabbing him by arm

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A substitute teacher is behind bars after North Charleston Police say she was caught on camera pushing a student and grabbing them by their arm.

Alliyah Simmons, 28, is charged with cruelty to children.

An officer at Midland Park Primary School, which is a school in the Charleston County School District, was told about a Feb. 22 altercation between a substitute teacher and a student.

Someone emailed the cop a video that, according to an incident report, shows Simmons removing the student from a classroom by the arm and out into the hallway.

After seeing this hallway footage, the cop went back and looked at video from inside the classroom. Police say that video shows the altercation starting with Simmons trying to direct a student and the student throwing a temper tantrum and knocking down papers.

Simmons is then seen walking away until the student grabs her arm. At this point, Simmons pulls away and then pushes the student, according to the incident report.

Police say in both videos, the student’s feet are seen leaving the ground and being redirected with physical force.

Simmons is booked in the Al Cannon Detention Center. Her bond is set at $465, according to jail records.

Before Simmons’ arrest, the Charleston County School District announced in February that she no longer works for the district.

Related: Report: Substitute teacher under investigation at Midland Park elementary

The substitute teacher is an employee of Kelly Services, a company that is contracted to provide substitutes to school districts. A representative for the company provided the following statement back in February:

The safety and well-being of the students we serve are always our top priorities. We intend to cooperate with law enforcement and the school as they investigate this matter. Pending the completion of the investigation, the teacher has been removed from all assignments. As this is an active investigation, we have no further comment.

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