Hidden cameras used in abuse arrest of teacher’s aide at handicapped school
School police used hidden cameras to catch a teacher’s aide roughly handling two special needs students in their classroom, according to a report released Wednesday.
Lachelle James, also known as Lachelle or Michelle McCraney, was arrested Tuesday on five counts of child abuse and one count of battery after Clark County School District detectives watched her on hidden cameras.
James, 28, is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.
Her arrest report details what officers witnessed in the classroom at the Variety School for the handicapped.
Late Friday night, detectives installed hidden surveillance cameras in James’ classroom after they heard allegations that the aide was abusing a student. The student and others in the classroom are described in the report as “non-verbal” and lacking the ability to speak or write.
Detectives watched the video and did not see the first student being abused, but they did witness James’ interactions with two other students.
On Tuesday morning, one student was rolling on the ground and flailing his arms until James grabbed the boy and dragged him to the center of the room, the report said. With the boy facedown, James placed a knee into his back until he stopped moving, the report said. She got up, and the boy crawled under a table.
She pinned him four more times, the report said. The last time, she placed her elbow into the boy’s face and grabbed his left arm and pulled it toward her for about 10 seconds, the report said.
When she got up, it said, the boy walked across the room and climbed into a padded container.
Minutes later, detectives saw her shove another boy in the back, grab his face with two hands and pin him against some cabinets, the report said.
School staff use restraining techniques to de-escalate a violent or combative student, and the detectives consulted school authorities on James’ behavior. They viewed the video and said her actions were not appropriate, the report said.
Police arrested James, who told them the first student had attacked her. Police noted in the report that when the boy was pinned down, he was trying to escape .
District authorities suspended James without pay and will fire her upon approval from an arbitrator, a district spokeswoman said.
