‘Teacher of the Year’ Charged with Child Abuse After Hitting Student Who Allegedly Called Her Out for Using the N-Word

A Florida teacher named “Teacher of the Year” has been charged with child abuse just days after being honored.

On Friday, 60-year-old Caroline Melanie Lee, a teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School, was arrested for allegedly striking a minor in the face, leading to the child getting a nosebleed. The incident resulted in Lee being charged with child abuse and being stripped of her “Teacher of the Year” title,” which she received just days prior.

Lee allegedly hit the child after being called out on Instagram. In the comments, a person questioned why she was named Teacher of the Year, claiming Lee previously used the N-word. However, Lee said she only used the word when reading from John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” She also denies ever hitting a child.

The alleged incident happened when Lee asked to speak with the student alone, who allegedly was the commenter. The student, who isn’t a part of any of her classes, claims that’s when Lee hit her several times. Lee reportedly said the Instagram post could have been detrimental to her life, but she added that she is not “afraid” and didn’t “feel the need” to report the message to the school.

In a report, a responding offer said school surveillance footage showed the teacher “walking at an aggressive pace” to her classroom before the incident with the student. About four minutes later, Fox News reports that the student was allegedly seen leaving the classroom, holding her face and walking with a “low demeanor” to a guidance counselor’s office. The student then reported the alleged incident.

In a statement, Duval Schools Superintendent Diana Greene said, “what is alleged should never occur — ever — especially in a school setting.”