A Wake County special education teacher has been arrested and charged with assaulting a student with a disability.
Jodi Catt, 56, of Clayton, a special education teacher at Rolesville High School, is accused of assaulting a student, according to the school's principal.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Catt was arrested Monday and charged with misdemeanor assault. According to an arrest warrant, she is accused of assaulting and kicking the student while the victim was "seated on the floor."
Catt, who was released from jail on bond, has been suspended from Rolesville High School pending further investigation.
Rolesville Principal Phelan Perry sent the following message to families:
"I want to assure you that we take the safety of our students and staff members very seriously. While privacy laws prevent me from providing much additional information about the situation, I can share that Ms. Catt is suspended while the district conducts an investigation."
According to her employment record, Catt has been an employee with the Wake County Public School System since 2004 and formerly worked at Dillard Drive Middle School.
Education attorney Stacy Gahagan said it's not the first time she's seen a case like this.
"There's lots of research to support there's more of these abusive situations that happen in classrooms where disabled students are segregated from non-disabled students," Gahagan said.
It's the latest case in a string of Wake County Public School System staff members to face similar charges in recent years. In August, the district said it's overhauling how it serves students with disabilities through additional training, data and support for staff.
"We've had many times where parents have requested that cameras be placed in these classrooms, at least to be able to help identify when these situations happen and when there's an after-the-fact investigation," Gahagan said.
Catt began working at Rolesville High School in August.
Court records reveal Catt has posted a $2,500 bond. Her next court date is set for Oct. 20.