Teacher accused of abusing 2 students with special needs

POLK COUNTY, Ga. — A Polk County special-education teacher is in jail, accused of abusing two of her students with special needs in January.

Deborah Alford, a 58-year-old special-education teacher at Westside Elementary School in Cedartown, was arrested in Alabama on Thursday night and extradited to the Polk County Jail on Friday. She faces three counts of cruelty to children and one count of battery. Police say there is school surveillance video of some of Alford's alleged abuse.

"The video was disturbing to me," Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome said.

Newsome declined to comment on the exact type of physical contact seen in the video.

A school resource officer at the school began investigating on Jan. 23, shortly after a school staff member notified the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.

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"That officer reviewed the videos that they had and reviewed the statements from some teachers and determined that it warranted a criminal investigation," Newsome said.

Alford is currently on administrative leave, according to Polk County Schools Superintendent Darrell Wetherington. She had been with the district for 19 years.

Parents at the elementary school describe the arrest as unusual and alarming.

"If I were the parents involved,” said Michelle Morris, "'upset' wouldn't be the right world. It would be very bad."

Morris said she has confidence in the proper officials to handle the investigation.

"I feel like whatever the situation is, [the principal and the superintendent] will have it under control," she said.

Cox Media Group