GONZALES —- The Gonzales Police Department has arrested a 47-year-old Ascension Parish paraprofessional for allegedly physically abusing an 8-year-old special needs child.
Officials say the student’s parents reported on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 7th, to the Gonzales Police Dept. that Danyel Anderson allegedly abused their child at Gonzales Primary. That immediately prompted GPD to launch an investigation into the Ascension Parish paraprofessional.
School officials from Ascension Parish and GPD detectives were able to retrieve a classroom video. The parent of that eight-year-old boy tells UWK that her son is non-verbal and autistic.
“(He has a) traumatic brain injury, is autistic, non-verbal and has cerebral palsy. She aggressively put him in a chair he couldn’t get out of, took his communication device so he cried the only way he knew how to communicate. She then pulled his head backwards from behind and aggressively wiped away his tears,” said the student’s mother Paige Harris.
As a result of the investigation, Anderson, 47, of Gonzales, was arrested and has been charged with felony cruelty to persons with infirmities and has been booked into the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office jail.
No further details were released by GPD into exactly what Anderson is accused of doing to the student. The matter remains under investigation, and additional charges or arrests may follow, per GPD. No bond has been set at this time.
Anderson is no longer employed at Ascension Parish Schools, per the Superintendent. It’s not clear however if she was terminated or resigned.
“In Ascension Public Schools, we uphold exceptionally high standards for all teachers, staff, and anyone interacting with our students. The safety and security of our students and staff are our highest priorities, and we enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy toward any adult who endangers a student. This individual is no longer employed with Ascension Public Schools,” said Dr. Edith M. Walker, Superintendent of Ascension Public Schools.
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