DELTONA, Fla. – An 80-year-old extended care worker at a Deltona elementary school has been arrested on a felony child abuse charge after surveillance video showed her striking a student in the back of the head, according to an arrest affidavit from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
Maria Luz Graham was arrested Sunday — four days after the incident at Deltona Lakes Elementary School. Volusia County Schools confirmed Graham is no longer employed by the district, and her resignation took effect Saturday, two days before her arrest.
According to an arrest affidavit, the principal reviewed surveillance footage from last Thursday and confirmed he saw Graham strike a student. The video, recorded around 3:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, shows a student in a red shirt carrying a food tray toward her seat when Graham, wearing a yellow shirt and dark shorts, followed her and struck the back of the child’s head with an open right hand.
Graham told deputies the child had tried to skip the dinner line and was pushing other students. She said she may have raised her hand and touched the child’s head lightly but did not recall striking her.
The child told her parents Graham had struck her in the back of the head, causing pain. According to the arrest report, the child no longer wants to return to school.
A judge released Graham on her own recognizance and ordered no contact with the victim. She faces a felony charge of child abuse without great bodily harm
