LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — A Laurens County educator was behind bars over the weekend.
Lisa Hester was arrested Saturday for allegedly assaulting one of her students at West Laurens Middle School during school hours.
Gunner Pope is a non-verbal eighth-grade student with down syndrome.
Cpt. Robbie Toney at the Laurens County Sheriff's Office said Lisa Hester was escorted off campus after she admitted to the school resource officer that she put duct tape on Pope three times.
"Instead of putting the tape across the mouth, she had it running up and down across the students mouth, so it was never placed on tightly but still we felt there was no need for tape to be placed over anybody’s mouth," Toney said.
Pope said Hester worked with her son for the past three years at West Laurens Middle School and never had a problem like this before.
"She would have been the last one I would've expected to do anything like this," Poole said.
Angie Poole is Pope's mother. She said her son came home acting out of character last Tuesday, but she thought it was just a bad day because he can't tell her what happened.
"I didn't know until the next day so I mean then it kind of made sense when I found out that maybe that's why he acted like that the day before," Poole said.
Toney said the report was made by another paraprofessional at the middle school.
"The school officials are mandated reporters for child abuse and sexual assault so they were following their protocol and notified our deputy there at the school," Toney said.
Poole said she wishes the school had a camera inside the classroom to protect the students and understand why this happened.
"Not only his safety but all the other kids safety you know. What if another teacher they hire in takes her place? What if they do it? Then it's just going to be another mom on here you know having to tell this, so I don't know I just feel like it would just help a lot of my unanswered questions if they did have it," Poole said.
Hester has been charged with three Misdemeanor counts of Simple Battery and with a Felony of 2nd Degree Child Cruelty.
Superintendent Clifford Garnto said the safety of student's is the top priority. He said they cannot control the actions of an adult but they can control their response.
Garnto said he could not disclose the status of Hester's employment because the final decision comes down to the board of education.
The next board meeting is set for Friday. Superintendent Garnto said the meeting was already scheduled to discuss hiring of school personnel.