Florida Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Putting A Student In A Headlock

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I could not be a teacher in today's day in age. No shade to them, but I feel like it would be a very challenging career. Especially dealing with the students today. Unlike students who are eager to learn and engage with the material, those who are disinterested or disruptive can make even the most well-planned lessons feel like an uphill battle. However, That doesn't mean you can use physical force to punish a student. Most teachers don't have to reminded, but some do apparently. There was one Florida teacher arrested for allegedly putting a student in a headlock.

The Story

Vilma Otero, a teacher at Forest Lake Elementary, was arrested on Saturday and is facing child abuse charges for allegedly putting her hands on a student in her class. The incident was reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) by paraeducator in her classroom who witnessed the 59-year-old using her legs to put a 3-year-old in a headlock.

According to an affidavit obtained by WESH 2, The Paraeducator was getting ready for their classroom's story time when the incident happened. The Paraeducator told police she heard screaming and crying when she was setting everything up, which caused her to turn around. To her surprise, she saw one student in between Otero's legs in a headlock while she sat in a chair and continued reading to the rest of the class. The child was turning red and struggling to get out of Otero's hold, so the paraeducator took photos and sent them to authorities.

After deputies received the report, they made contact with the child's family. However, it was very difficult for authorities to communicate with the child because of his age and autism. Deputies did observe physical marks on the boy's neck though. As a result, officials determined there was probable cause to arrest Otero.

Teaching may be challenging, but you should never retaliate by being physical with a student. Balancing empathy with discipline, adapting strategies on the fly, and finding creative ways to connect with each student are crucial skills in overcoming these obstacles.

Source: WESH 2

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Richie OrtizEditor

Rich grew up in the Bronx, NY but moved to Tampa in 2006 to attend the University of Tampa. Even though he completed 4 years at the University for Sports Management, Ortiz realized his true passion for radio after taking a couple of classes to fulfill his communications minor and volunteering at UT's WUTT radio station as a sports director. Rich also worked at several clubs in Tampa as a host/promoter where he would meet and work alongside Davy Rolando, who would be the one who would help him get a job at WiLD 94.1. From there, Rich worked his way up from Promotions assistant to promotions coordinator, to eventually full-time on-air. Rich loves to write about his favorite Tampa food spots, concert reviews, and the WiLDest Florida man/woman stories.