- A mental health counselor at a Florida elementary school reportedly pressed charges against a student.
- The school gave the student a 10-day suspension, according to USA Today.
- The counselor alleged that the 10-year-old groped her during a hug, USA Today reported — citing a police report.
A Florida elementary school’s mental health counselor reportedly pressed charges against a 10-year-old who she told police had groped her.
The counselor at Holly Hill School in Volusia County, Florida made the claim in a police report filed with the Holly Hills Police Department, according to USA Today.
USA Today reported that the school gave the student a 10-day suspension and Monday will be their first day back in school.
The student’s grandmother, Lakesha Hollins, who is their legal guardian, said the student didn’t do anything wrong, according to USA Today. She said she didn’t agree with the district’s decision to suspend the student or the counselor’s decision to press charges.
“We’re talking about a 10-year-old being kicked out of school for what possibly could have been an accident,” Hollins told USA Today.
The school sent Hollins a letter that said the student allegedly approached the counselor for a hug when their class was returning from lunch, USA Today reported.
“(The counselor) turned sideways to give a side hug,” the report states according to USA Today. “(The student) put his left arm around her shoulder and then with his right hand he reached and grabbed her left breast in which she had to grab his wrist and remove his hand.”
According to USA Today, the police report states the student allegedly “cupped her left breast in a disrespectful way” and that she had to “forcibly remove his hand.”
Hollins told USA Today that the counselor was looking away and possibly talking to someone else during the hug.
“My grandson said with the hug, she did grab his hand and hold his hand up, and he didn’t really know why she did it,” Hollins said according to USA Today. “He said she let his hand go and then he walked back to his seat and then he began to talk to other students. They were talking about football.”
According to USA Today, the police report said that the primary teacher in the classroom did not witness the hug.
“There’s no witnesses, (just) her word against his,” Hollins told USA Today. “He’s only 10.”
