Affidavit: Anderson substitute teacher duct-taped 11-year-old's mouth, hit her with ruler

Ken de la Bastide, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

Sep. 6—ANDERSON — A substitute teacher has been charged with battery on a student at Anderson Intermediate School.

Stephanie Arteaga resigned this week after allegations that she duct-taped the mouth of an 11-year-old sixth-grade student, pulled the girl's hair, sat on her and hit her with a ruler, according to Anderson police.

Arteaga, 42, 1400 block of Fulton Street, is charged with felony battery on a person under the age of 14. If convicted she faces a possible prison sentence of one to six years.

The student's mother, Nia Williams, told The Herald Bulletin that Arteaga claimed her foster daughter was being disruptive during class. Williams said she learned about the incident on Aug. 30, when she contacted by the school.

"I was told the teacher admitted to sitting on my daughter and taping her mouth," she said. "The other students told the principal what happened."

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Alex Wagner with the Anderson Police Department, Arteaga admitted to the school principal that some of the allegations were true.

Wagner reported that he could smell alcohol on her breath, and Arteaga admitted to drinking an alcoholic beverage that she kept in her office, the affidavit said.

During a Kids Talk forensic interview, according to the affidavit, the student said Arteaga dragged her by the hair to the teacher's chair, pulled her into the seat, placed duct tape on her mouth and, while sitting on the student's legs, struck her with a ruler five times on the hand and two times on the face.

"Arteaga stated she had performed these actions to another student in the past and she did not get fired," the court document states. "She didn't care if the student told on her."

A year ago, Arteaga was placed on leave after an incident was reported to school officials.

"We were made aware of an incident last year involving her and a child outside of school," Brad Meadows, director of community engagement with ACS, said in a statement.

"We reported it to the Department of Child Services," he said. "She was placed on leave during their investigation. She was cleared of any charges and able to return to her position last school year."

Arteaga started working for ACS in October 2022.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.