A teacher’s assistant at Garrett Elementary School in Augusta has been arrested on felony child cruelty charges after allegedly dragging and shoving a 4-year-old autistic student.
Lauren Kimbrel, 34, was arrested last Monday and charged with cruelty to children in the first degree. She surrendered to authorities and was booked before being released on bond the same day.
The alleged incident took place on Dec. 19 at the Eisenhower Drive school, where Kimbrel was working as a paraprofessional. According to an arrest warrant, Kimbrel was supervising the victim, a girl with autism and ADHD, when she grabbed the child by her right arm, dragged her down the hallway, and then aggressively lifted her off the floor by the same arm. Kimbrel is also accused of shoving the child into a classroom.
As a result of the rough handling, the girl reportedly experienced pain in her right arm.
The arrest was not initially made public by the Richmond County School District, which conducted an investigation through its school police department. Kimbrel’s current employment status remains unclear, though reports suggest she resigned on the same day as the incident.
In Georgia, a person convicted of cruelty to children in the first degree faces a possible sentence of 5-20 years in prison.
