Photo: Getty Images
A special education teacher from Nebraska resigned from her job after she was charged with felony child abuse. The Nebraska City Police Department said that Melissa Valenta, 50, bullied and abused one of her teenage students and put his life in danger.
Jennifer Egri told KLON that she had concerns that her son Tristyn was being bullied, so she sent him to school with a recording device. Tristyn is autistic and has several health issues, including a genetic defect that affects his brain and a heart condition.
When she reviewed the tapes, she was shocked by what she heard and turned them over to the police department.
"He took it with him, kept it in his pocket, and then brought the audio home. And I was able to go through the audio," Egri told the news station. "It's sick. I mean, it made me sick, physically sick."
Egri said that, in one instance, Valenta tipped Tristyn out of his chair, causing him to fall on the floor. She then stepped on his hand, causing it to bleed. In another instance, Valenta called him an "easy target" target as she pelted him with dodgeballs.
"It's the worst thing I've ever heard in my life," Egri added. "It really is... I trusted these people to do their job. And it's just horrible."
Two classroom aides are also facing misdemeanor negligent child abuse charges.
"This has been a very challenging time in Nebraska City Public Schools. We want our community to know that once the police made the district aware of the allegations, the district acted immediately. Our priority now is to support students and staff through this difficult time. We feel for everyone involved," Nebraska City Public Schools said in a statement.