No charges for Florida church employee accused of whipping 16 students: SAO
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Parents are furious after the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orlando did not file charges after a church employee was accused of child abuse.
In November 2023, several parents, whose children attend Alpha Learning Academy located at Saint Mark AME Church in Orlando, complained that the senior leader at the church administered corporal punishment to 16 students.
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According to the SAO, on Nov. 2, the senior leader was asked to intervene in a fourth-grade class due to disruptive and disrespectful behavior from the students. That’s when he allegedly used a leather belt to whip the students in the form of three lashes to the hip, legs, and backside.
One parent told NBC affiliate WESH, “My son says he came in, put his stuff down, took his belt off, and said, ‘you guys are going to stop embarrassing my church.’ He made them line up. The teachers pointed them out. None of the children volunteered.”
Parents said they did not consent to corporal punishment and weren’t notified before it was administered. They also claim that the parent handbook doesn’t mention corporal punishment as an approved form of discipline. However, during an investigation by the Orlando Police Department, the previous versions of the handbook did include a provision for corporal punishment as an alternative to home suspension.
“It is not okay for us to whoop our own kid, let alone somebody else to whoop our child,” another parent told WESH. “My son is going through trauma. He just lost his dad in 2022. This man who is supposed to be loving him is whooping him and he is special needs.”
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According to the SAO, the senior leader admitted to spanking the children and warned them about the potential of the spankings if they kept misbehaving. He told police that staff members had previously used corporal punishment and were unaware of the updated handbook policies.
The State said they could not prove there was an intent to harm the students and claimed that “he did so reasonably believing that he had the authority.”
On Wednesday, WESH obtained a statement from Alpha Learning Academy saying:
“We are currently working with our district leadership to determine the next steps regarding the pastor’s tenure, as well as how the school will operate moving forward. The pastor’s voluntary sabbatical will continue while we work through this internal process.”
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