A DeKalb County mother said a special education teacher assaulted her son in class, giving him bruises on his neck.

April McPherson told Channel 2’s Erin Coleman that her 14-year-old son’s special education teacher at Henderson Middle School grabbed him by the neck, leaving two welts and bruises.

“Before he could turn around, he said everybody came rushing at them trying to get her off of him,” McPherson said. “He didn’t even realize who had done it or what had happened. He didn’t even know what hit him.”

According to the incident report, the day before the holiday break, her son’s teacher handed out candy and Christmas cards. McPherson’s son threw his card on the teacher’s desk.

The teacher later admitted she lost control and became angry because she felt disrespected.

“I want to stand up for my child and any other child in the special education department,” McPherson said.

“That was an inadvertent incident that took place at the school,” DeKalb County schools spokesman Walter Woods said.

Woods said the district investigated and determined that the teacher did not intentionally hurt the student.

“For our purposes, the incident’s closed,” Woods said.

Another teacher who saw the incident in the classroom agreed.

The teacher involved received a letter of direction from the principal, but no further disciplinary action.

McPherson said that is not enough.

“It could happen again,” McPherson said. “He’s afraid to be in school with her. He was afraid the day they placed him back in her care again.”

McPherson’s son is speech impaired, hearing impaired and has learning disabilities. She said she wants the teacher arrested.

 “He feels like he’s been violated, and it’s embarrassing and humiliating, and he doesn’t want the finger pointed to him like he’s done something wrong,” McPherson said.

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