Khaberni - In an incident that shook the educational community in South Carolina, "Erin Wheeler", the teacher celebrated as "Teacher of the Year", turned into a suspect behind bars, after being charged with shocking criminal charges related to violent assault on a child and stalking him.
A report by the Lexington County police reveals horrifying details of the incident that occurred on November 27; where Wheeler (34 years old) was charged with repeatedly hitting a child on his forehead. According to official documents, the child tried to escape from her and barricade himself inside the bathroom, but the teacher chased him and continued to deliver violent blows to his head and upper body.
The police noted that the child desperately tried to protect his face with his arms, resulting in visible bruises on various parts of his body due to the alleged attack.
Wheeler's arrest came as a surprise to her colleagues and students at the prestigious "Whitmore" school, where she was escorted from inside the classroom. The shocking irony is that this incident comes just a few months after she was honored with the title of "Teacher of the Year" in recognition of her long experience since 2015.
For its part, the school administration promptly put Wheeler on administrative leave, affirming in an official statement that the incident "is not related to her job at the school or any of its current students", in an attempt to reassure the parents.
A modest bail infuriates the family
Wheeler appeared in court last week, where she faced the charge of "unlawful neglect of a child". Despite the severity of the allegations, the judge set a bail amount of only $2,500, along with an order banning her from contacting the victim.
This decision was met with strong protests from the victim child's mother, who described the bail amount as "very low" and not commensurate with the extent of terror and physical harm her son experienced.
Wheeler had previously stated when receiving the "Teacher of the Year" award that she faced difficulties and problems during her adolescence in high school, noting that she uses her personal experience to inspire her students that change for the better is always possible.
Today, Wheeler finds herself facing a tough legal test; although her criminal record was completely clean before this incident, she now faces the risk of ending her brilliant career, waiting for what the final investigations and upcoming court sessions will reveal.
