I-TEAM: Teacher issued summons, recommended for termination after allegedly assaulting student

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The East Baton Rouge Parish School System confirms leaders have recommended a teacher at River Oaks Elementary School be terminated after a parent alleges the educator cursed at and bruised her child.

The incident allegedly happened on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. The child’s mother, Halle Bruno, claims her 4-year-old son was assaulted by his Pre-K teacher, Brandy Spears. The mother alleges there were several witnesses who heard the teacher curse at and grab her child while he was on the playground.

“I was shocked when I heard about it. The teacher spoke to my son like he was an adult, telling him to get his f**king a** up as she was snatching him,” Bruno said. “I was hurt, angry, shaky and disturbed. I’m supposed to protect him and keep him safe from anything or anyone that can hurt him.”

Bruno tells the WAFB I-TEAM she and her husband met with the school system on September 11, 2023 to get more clarity on the situation and learn more about their response to the alleged incident. She says it was during that meeting that she and her husband learned the teacher would be terminated. She also said school leaders told her that they had passed along information to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for them to investigate. The teacher was issued a summons according to the school system.

A spokesman for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools issued the following statement to WAFB.

Bruno tells WAFB she believes the teacher should have been arrested but says she is glad she no longer has access to her son.

“I want everyone to know what happened to my son to ensure it doesn’t happen to anyone else’s child,” said Bruno.

As of Friday, September 15, 2023, the teacher’s picture is still on the school’s website.

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2023 WAFB. All rights reserved.