Florida teacher arrested for alleged abuse of special needs student

Kevin Adkisson, a 52-year-old teacher at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast, Florida, has been arrested on two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm. The charges stem from an incident on October 16 involving a six-year-old student with special needs.

According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, the confrontation began during classroom free time when two students were arguing over a toy. Investigators allege that Adkisson forcefully intervened, grabbed the student by the arm in a rough motion that caused him to swing through the air, and subsequently pinned him against a wall.

A paraprofessional witnessed the event and reported that the child was visibly upset, crying under a desk and stating that he could not breathe. Adkisson was arrested in Bunnell on October 22 and has since been released after posting a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 17.