Oklahoma teacher with past abuse arrest resigns after allegedly sedating special needs kids
A special education teacher who was arrested several years ago amid child abuse allegations has now resigned from a Deer Creek school after parents accused her of sedating children with gummies.
Amanda Bristow resigned from Grove Valley Elementary School on Sept. 5.
It's unclear what kind of gummies Bristow was accused of giving the children. But in an email to a parent, the school district said Bristow "has been in violation of our district board policy related to the proper administration of medication to students." The district's policy requires that any medication, either prescription or over-the-counter, must be approved by the legal guardian and may only be administered by the school nurse or trained personnel.
Various types of chewable gummies can be purchased, including those containing melatonin, a sleep-enhancing hormone, over the counter, or those containing THC from marijuana dispensaries.
Megan Longoria, mother to a 5-year-old boy with special needs, told The Oklahoman she suspected her son was being mistreated because he stopped sleeping through the night.
“I didn't think he was sleeping all day at school, but looking back in hindsight he was waking up at night,” Longoria said.
Longoria said her son told her Bristow gave children gummies before nap time.
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She said did not know Bristow was no longer at the school until she retrieved an Aug. 31 email from the Deer Creek school district that said officials were made aware of the matter three days earlier.
As of Tuesday afternoon on her LinkedIn profile, Bristow described herself as having taught for 12 years in public schools.
“I am skilled with behavior management, and working with those students whom others have deemed difficult and/or are misunderstood,” her profile stated. “I believe all children need love, support and can learn! They need a positive outlook on life and a strong belief in themselves. I will be your biggest cheerleader.”
Previous brush with misconduct allegations
Nine years ago, Bristow was accused of injuring a child while working for the Ada Early Childhood Center, according to The Ada News.
Bristow, then 33 years old, was arrested at the center, according to a Sept. 2, 2014, report by The Ada News.
The alleged incident took place at the Ada Boys and Girls Club on July 31, 2014, according to The Ada News, which reported:
“Ada police were alerted Aug. 11 by a parent whose child had been injured by the incident, which was captured on video footage. Ada Police Detective Destry Musgrove said a boy knocked a ball out of Bristow’s hand and that set off a series of events where Bristow assaulted three 9-year-old children with the ball — an 18” Omnikin Six ball — which has a handle sewn into it.”
The Ada News reported one of the children was left with an abrasion above his right eye, a cut on his eyelid and abrasions on his back. A search of court documents did not show charges filed in the case.
Ada Public Schools suspended Bristow on Oct. 21, 2014, according to a proposed settlement in which she offered to have her teaching certificate suspended.
Her certificate was to be suspended until July 31, 2016, according to the proposed settlement, which was offered ahead of a certificate termination hearing with the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The department lists online Bristow's most recent certification as effective June 1, 2019, with an expiration date of June 30, 2024.
Deer Creek further investigating personnel issue
Deer Creek spokeswoman Maggie Leftwich told The Oklahoman in a statement that Bristow was hired on Aug. 4, 2022. She last reported to work on Aug. 28, 2023.
“Deer Creek School District is dedicated to facilitating a safe environment for all of our students and staff,” Leftwich said. “We strictly enforce all district policies, as well as state and federal laws to ensure our employees and students are able to stay focused on learning. When concerns are brought to our attention, district leadership thoroughly investigates and acts in accordance with state and federal laws. Since this is a personnel issue, we are limited in the information we can share due to employee confidentiality laws.”
Every employee hired by Deer Creek is required to undergo a thorough background check and fingerprinting through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Leftwich said.
“This teacher held a valid teaching certificate and completed the background check when she was hired in 2022 with no discrepancies on her record that would disqualify her from employment as a certified teacher in the state of Oklahoma,” Leftwich said.
Longoria said Bristow should not be the only one held accountable for allegedly sedating children at Grove Valley.
“The district should be held accountable for child abuse,” Longoria said. “She got a slap on the wrist and was put back in the classroom, and she turned around and harmed children again.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma teacher allegedly sedated special needs students with gummies
