CONYERS, Ga. — A paraprofessional at C.J. Hicks Elementary School in Conyers is no longer employed after allegedly assaulting a 7-year-old student.
The student, who is autistic and non-verbal, was reportedly slapped in the back of the head in a school hallway.
Rockdale County Public Schools officials confirmed to Channel 2’s Cory James that the employee is off the job while the district investigates the alleged misconduct.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Another teacher saw the incident and reported it to the principal. The principal then called the child’s mother.
Seyonia Chatman, the student’s mother, said the principal described the physical encounter to her over the phone on Tuesday afternoon.
“He said the paraprofessional basically slapped my son in the back of the head, and it was an incident,” Chatman said.
Because her son is non-verbal, Chatman expressed concerns about how long such behavior might have been occurring without her knowledge.
“I don’t know if this person was around him a lot,” Chatman said.
She noted that the situation has damaged her confidence in school safety, stating that she feels she cannot trust anyone.
Rockdale County Public Schools released a statement confirming that administrators began an investigation immediately after the misconduct was reported. The district stated that the paraprofessional never returned to the classroom and is no longer an employee.
The statement emphasized that the district believes in transparency, accountability and compliance.
Kianna Chennault, an attorney representing families in the district, said the incident may indicate a broader problem.
Since 2023, Chennault has represented five families who alleged physical abuse by teachers in the district. Three of those cases have been settled and one is currently in negotiations.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“It’s not possible that you have all these bad seeds and all these different schools that leads to it being a systemic issue and not a bad seed of a teacher,” Chennault said.
She previously arranged a call for action in December after a Conyers Middle School teacher was arrested for allegedly hitting a child in the stomach and head 20 times.
Chatman credited the teacher who witnessed the hallway incident for bringing the matter to light.
“I think they handled it the best way the could I just feel like if that teacher did not see or hear anything it could just keep going,” Chatman said.
She said she is thankful that the staff member decided to speak up.
Chatman said she is planning to press charges. Conyers police have not yet confirmed if an arrest has been made.
©2026 Cox Media Group
