Two employees at Elgin Elementary School in Elgin, Oklahoma, were charged with misdemeanor assault and battery on a student in separate incidents weeks apart, and both were fired, according to court records and local reporting. Elizabeth Kay Sutton, 38, and Ottoria Rose McClung, 37, were each charged after the incidents.
The first incident occurred on Jan. 8, when Principal Gabe Winn reported that Sutton, a classroom aide, allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old boy, yanked him back into his seat and struck him in the face. Security video reviewed by police was said to show Sutton swinging toward the boy’s face, causing his head to snap back. The boy reportedly had a red mark on his face when he returned to class. Sutton told authorities the boy had been difficult since returning from break and had been trying to leave and climb atop a table; she said she used a hold she had been taught and that her intention was never to hurt him. Sutton, who had worked for the district for five months, was terminated on Jan. 15. She has pleaded not guilty and is free on a $500 bond, with a court date set for May 20.
Weeks later, McClung, a personal care assistant at the same school, was accused of carrying a 5-year-old student in a chokehold down a hallway, with her arm around the child’s throat. A witness said the boy’s face was red and that he was crying and hitting McClung’s arm, while she reportedly said, “I can’t deal with this.” McClung was fired and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. She is free on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 20.
Superintendent Nate Meraz said both employees were terminated following the incidents and that staff receive ongoing training, with the district removing anyone who harms a student.
