CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDBs Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      U.S. News

      Memphis Teacher Hit Girl, 5, With Ruler and Got Wrist Slap, Family Says

      SPARE THE ROD

      The teacher is back in the classroom after a two-day suspension.

      Tracy Connor

      Published Feb. 12, 2019 5:44PM ET 

      Courtesy Ciara Morgan

      When 5-year-old Hailey Turner’s parents asked her why she had an angry red mark on her face after school one day last month, the kindergartner told them a story that left them shocked and mad.

      “She said her teacher hit her and told her not to tell anyone,” Hailey’s mom, Ciara Morgan, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. “She said she’ll bring her an LOL doll if she doesn’t tell anyone.”

      Two weeks later, Morgan, 23, is even angrier. She claims the Memphis school district gave the teacher a slap on the wrist—a two-day suspension—and transferred Hailey to a different classroom when she returned.

      “It’s wrong,” she said. “Why does my daughter have to leave her comfort zone? They should have put her in a different school.”

      The incident happened Jan. 25 at Cummings Elementary. Morgan said Hailey’s aunt got a call from the teacher, saying she had put some ointment on her face because she kept scratching her eczema.

      The teacher, Morgan said, suggested Hailey might be having an allergic reaction so her parents rushed to the school, where they were surprised to see what looked more like a bruise than a scratch.

      Hailey told them that the class was having computer time, and when it was over, she informed the teacher about a misbehaving student.

      “And the teacher said, ‘No tattle tale,’ and got a ruler out of her desk and popped her with it,” Morgan said.

      Corporal punishment is not banned in Tennessee schools. But Morgan said she and Hailey’s father were furious and demanded to see school higher-ups, who helped them call the Memphis Police Department and the Department of Child Services.

        According to the Commercial Appeal, which first reported on the incident, the district opened an investigation but was unable to substantiate Hailey’s allegation.

        However, it determined that the teacher had hit Hailey on the hand to “redirect” her and decided that warranted a two-day suspension and further investigation by state licensing authorities, the Appeal reported.

        The teacher returned to the classroom on Feb. 8, Morgan said. And when Hailey’s dad went to pick her up from school, she found she had been transferred to a different class with no notice from the district.

        The family then decided to take Hailey out of Cummings and transfer her to a different school.

        Morgan said the worst thing about the situation was that Hailey is “feeling guilty” for saying anything.

        “She keeps saying, ‘I didn’t want to snitch on her and get her in trouble.’ She felt like she was in the wrong.”

        Shelby County Schools did not respond to an email from The Daily Beast, and the district office would not put through a call to the superintendent. A phone number for the teacher could not be found.

        Tracy Connor

        Tracy.Connor@thedailybeast.com

        Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Best Picks
        • Coupons
        • Coupons:
        • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
        • HP Coupon Codes
        • Chewy Promo Codes
        • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
        • NordVPN Coupons
        • JCPenny Coupons
        • Nordstrom Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC