ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A 71-year-old substitute teacher was arrested after St. Cloud officers said he grabbed a student by the collar and threw him into a classroom wall as punishment, according to the police department.
In a news release, police said that the teacher, Casmore Shaw, of Kissimmee, was working as a long-term substitute at Neptune Elementary School on April 29 when the incident occurred.
Investigators said that a student reported that Shaw “approached his desk and grabbed the front of his shirt with such force that a button popped off.”
The student further alleged that after dropping crayons on the floor, Shaw “grabbed the collar area of his shirt, physically lifted him from his chair, and walked him to the corner of the classroom.”
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The student went to the school nurse, who observed marks on the child‘s neck and notified the principal. Police said photographs showed “several small raised red marks” on the student.
Detectives interviewed Shaw, who reportedly admitted to grabbing the student and acknowledged that he violated school policy by doing so.
Osceola County schools confirmed to News 6 that Shaw, who was hired in January 2023, is no longer employed by the district.
“Our focus will remain on supporting the student,” the Osceola County School District said in a statement.
Records also show that Shaw previously announced his candidacy for the Osceola County School Board in 2021 via a Facebook page.
His profile on the Foundation for Osceola Education website listed involvement with multiple local organizations, including a county advisory board.
St. Cloud police said they coordinated the investigation with both the Osceola County School District and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Shaw faces a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.