At the same time Tucson Unified School District officials were told that enrollment has plummeted, they discovered that one of their teachers taped a small child to her desk and the police were called.
It has been a rough week for the District, but even tougher for the little girl who found herself taped to a desk after her teacher became annoyed for her too many trips to the pencil sharpener.
The teacher at Hollinger Elementary school has been relieved of classroom duties.
Tucson police were called to Hollinger Elementary School at 150 west Ajo Way on Tucson’s south side after receiving a report about the taping incident.
One district official said that he “hoped we would know how to treat kids better. It happened, she really taped her to a desk,” he said incredulously. He did not know how much and what type of tape was used by the teacher.
The district superintendent H.T. Sanchez released a statement through his spokesperson Cara Rene: “TUSD has received a complaint and the matter is under investigation. We take these things very seriously. Obviously such behavior is not appropriate or acceptable and is not part of any district protocol. The teacher is not in the classroom pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Just last week, Sanchez offered a disciplinary plan to the Governing Board for approval which is in violation of state law. That plan has since come under criticism and will be revisited by the Board in the coming weeks.