Rowan-Salisbury teacher resigns after allegedly taping child to desk

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A teacher with the Rowan-Salisbury school system resigned after being accused of taping a 9-year-old student to his desk.

The incident happened Friday at Knollwood Elementary School.

The student’s mother, Lynda Santamaria, said another child recorded at least three videos of the incident. She made school officials aware of the videos, then later contacted the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

In a release, the department confirmed only one of those videos and said it showed the student sitting at his desk with tape wrapped from one side of the desk, around the back of the chair and then stuck to the other side of the desk.

Officials said no tape was put on the child’s body but Santamaria argued that’s not true.

“There was another video where she was putting tape on his stomach and the back of his chair,” said Santamaria.

Her son said the teacher did it because she said he wasn’t listening. The mother admitted her son has ADHD, but quickly added that’s no way to discipline him.

Worse, she says her son is now being bullied because of it.

“Kids are saying, 'You’re the reason she’s gone,'” said Santamaria.

A spokesperson with Rowan-Salisbury Schools confirmed there was an incident in a teacher’s classroom at Knollwood Elementary School, releasing a statement that read in part, “The teacher has resigned. RSS is cooperating with law enforcement.”

The Sheriff’s Office said the district attorney won’t be pursuing charges against the teacher as of now, due to a lack of evidence a crime was committed.

Santamaria claimed the other videos proved otherwise and said she now plans to look into filing a civil suit.

“I can’t imagine what he felt sitting in that chair with the other children laughing at him,” said Santamaria.

Because no charges have been filed, officials won’t release the name of the teacher. The Sheriff’s Office did tell Channel 9 the teacher has hired an attorney.

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