A Pinellas County teacher is under arrest and charged with abusing two of her special needs students.
Clearwater police say Melanie Jo Fox, 44, admitted to kicking and beating two of her special needs students at Skycrest Elementary in Clearwater.
Officials say Fox pulled the 8-year-old girl’s hair, kicked her, hit her with a book, and bound her hands with tape.
As for the 6-year-old boy, officials say she pushed him to the floor and bound his hands, as well, but this time with a rubber band.
"I'm serious,” said Navajo Trueblood who says she loves Skycrest and has five grandchildren who attend the school but right now is in shock. “I can't believe that. For the teacher to do the kids like that, especially special needs kids. It just don't make no sense."
That sense of shock and disbelief filled the campus at Skycrest Thursday night after the word got out that Fox had been arrested earlier Thursday and charged with two counts of child abuse.
Officials say the investigation began when they got a tip from the child abuse hotline.
"(We) Interviewed the witnesses,” a spokesperson for the city of Clearwater. “Interviewed the teacher. And she admitted to the allegations."
One teacher, as she was running late to an event at the school Thursday night said, "I don't expect a teacher to do that to any child."
Detectives say the abuse began back in January and ended sometime last week.
One woman, who claims to have volunteered with Fox in the same classroom for several weeks back in December says she’s angry and doesn’t believe the allegations even though Fox has admitted to them.
Patricia M, who would only give us the initial of her last name, said, "She was doing great with them. I just can't believe she would do all that."
What some parents can’t believe is that the school never notified them.
"Like I said, I would have rather had a phone call or some type of message letting me know about this," said Michelle Khatri.
"I just heard,” said I can't believe they didn't call my phone."
But for now, the Skycrest school community is dealing with it the best they can.
"I really want to cry,” said Trueblood. “I'm praying for the family, kids, and the teacher, too."
Clearwater detectives say the investigation is ongoing.
As for Melanie Fox, she is locked up at the Pinellas County Jail on $20,000 bond. She is expected to make her first court appearance on Friday.
According to the Pinellas County school district, Fox began working for the district in 2004 as an hourly teacher and then as a full-time teacher in 2005.
Officials say Fox never had any prior disciplinary problems.
Melanie Jo Fox, a teacher of exceptional education students at Skycrest Elementary, was arrested today by the Clearwater Police Department. The district had moved Ms. Fox to a non-student site earlier this week following an investigation which is still under way. Ms. Fox began working for the district as an hourly teacher in 2004 and was hired as a full-time teacher in 2005. She has no prior disciplinary actions on her record.
-Donna Winchester, Director, Strategic Communications