A Florida teacher has been arrested amid allegations of placing a 3-year-old boy with autism in a chokehold during class. This incident reportedly took place at Forest Lake Elementary School in Deltona, according to Law and Crime.
Vilma Otero, 59, was accused of child abuse after a paraeducator witnessed the event and reported it. Otero has denied the allegations against her.
As per the affidavit, the incident occurred during storytime on August 23, when the paraeducator heard a child crying. She then observed Otero sitting with the boy positioned “between her legs” in a manner resembling a chokehold, claiming the child’s face was “turning red” as he struggled to escape.
This prompted the paraeducator to notify the Department of Children and Families, which led to law enforcement’s involvement. She even documented the event by taking photographs as evidence, according to Law and Crime.
Otero, a teacher with 36 years of experience working with special needs students, has asserted her innocence. Her attorney, Zaleski, described her as a longstanding community servant and expressed confidence that the context of the photographs was misrepresented. He urged respect for the legal process and for Mrs. Otero to be presumed innocent.
The day after the purported incident, detectives interacted with the child and his family. While the boy seemed happy and playful, deputies noticed some redness on his neck. He reportedly conveyed to his family that he had been in trouble at school and implied that “she hurt me,” but due to his condition, he could not elaborate.
Following her arrest, Otero was jailed on child abuse charges but has since been released on bail and pleaded not guilty. Her next court date is scheduled for September 19, according to Law and Crime.
The Volusia County School District mentioned that Otero is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.