| Former Alto teacher arrested By Samantha Swindler - Progress Managing Editor July 3, 2005 ALTO - A former Alto Middle School teacher was arrested June 16 for two counts of injury to a child, a felony charge. Alto Independent School District fired Teresa Brashear, 55, of Rusk, on Nov. 6, 2004, for allegedly slapping an 11-year-old, handicapped student. A subsequent investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department found enough evidence to charge Brashear on two counts. Brashear turned herself into officers and was released on $5,000 bond the same day. Cherokee County Sheriff's Department did not provide information on the dates and locations of the alleged abuse, but during a November 2004 school board meeting, parent Willie Lacy complained to the board about the way the situation was handled when his son - who he said is 87 percent deaf in one ear and 67 percent deaf in the other - was allegedly slapped by Brashear. "It bothers me because I don't know how long this has been happening," he said during the meeting, "but I'm trying to go about it the right way, and I'd like to get on the school board (agenda), because I think more than what has happened needs to happen." Also in Alto, County Attorney Craig Caldwell said two cases alleging verbal threats - both involving Alto Acting Superintendent Lawayne Sheffield - were no-billed by the grand jury. "(The threat) wasn't specific enough to go further with the case," Caldwell said. Sheffield filed charges against AISD school board member Freddy Johnson on May 29, alleging Johnson made verbal threats against him while school leaders planned to reschedule graduation. "We went to the grand jury with case, and there will be no arrests and no further investigation into that case or another case associated with those folks where Sheffield was involved with Freddy Wallace," Caldwell said. "There will be no further activities on those cases." In the second incident, Wallace, a school board audience member, alleged that Sheffield threatened him after a May 9 school board meeting, saying during an argument, "I'll meet you anywhere, punk." Both cases were cleared by the grand jury this month. Caldwell said his office is also investigating allegations that Shelley Allen, an AISD teacher's aide who was arrested June 1 for sexual assault of a child, may have served alcohol to minors. Serving to minors is a misdemeanor charge, while sexual assault of a child is a second degree felony, punishable by up to 20 years of jail time and a fine up to $10,000. http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/articles/2005/07/03/news/news03.txt |