HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL – A local educator is facing charges after allegedly striking a nine-year-old student who has autism. The incident resulted in the immediate arrest of Prechae Rodriguez, a Behavior Support Teacher at Eisenhower Exceptional Center.
Rodriguez, 39, was apprehended on Monday following an accusation of physically abusing a non-verbal student with autism. According to Casey Minuto, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), the teacher reacted violently after the student slapped him while leaving the gym, causing the student to fall to the ground.
The school district officials promptly reported the incident and attended to the child’s well-being. Rodriguez was immediately removed from the school and has since been terminated from his position, confirmed a district spokesperson. “We are deeply disturbed by the charges,” the spokesperson added.
According to the schools ‘ records in Hillsborough County, Rodriguez had been with the district since August 2023 and had no other incidents during his tenure.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his grave concern over the incident, expressing disgust towards Rodriguez’s actions and stressing the betrayal of the trust vested in him to protect vulnerable children. “No child, under any circumstance, should be subject to this level of violence,” he commented.
Rodriguez is currently facing a child abuse charge. Sheriff Chronister reaffirmed HCSO’s commitment to safeguarding students amidst the ongoing investigation. “Our detectives will continue to work to ensure that all of our students are protected,” he said.