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Mother says daughter with cerebral palsy was attacked at school

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A mother is furious after she says her daughter with special needs was manhandled by a teacher.

Michelle Collins told Channel 2's Carl Willis the teacher at Chapel Hill Elementary School put her hands on her 7-year-old daughter's jaw and snatched her by her hair.

The Douglas County School System is investigating.

Collins' daughter, Desiree, has the mental ability of a 3-year-old due to her cerebral palsy.

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Collins learned about the alleged incident when a Department of Family and Child Services case worker arrived at her door on Wednesday to check up on Desiree.

"She told me a teacher put her hands on my child and I'm like, what is going on?" Collins told Willis.

Collins said Desiree was in a wagon being pulled through a school hallway when she began screaming in excitement. That's when she says a school employee reacted.

"She put her hands on Desiree's jaw, throat area and then snatched her back by her hair two times," Collins said.

Willis reached out to the Douglas County school system. A spokesperson said they are gravely concerned by accusations such as these.

In a statement the school system wrote:

"The DCSS reported the alleged incident promptly to the appropriate authorities. The employee in question is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation." 

Collins understands that there's a process but says there needs to be accountability.

"You're supposed too send your child to school and feel that she's safe, but she's not safe there," she said.

Collins was told there is video of the incident. She said she still has not been contacted by the school.