Miami Gardens teacher accused of hitting 5-year-old student with ruler, leaving scar near his eyebrow
MIAMI — A Miami Gardens teacher is accused of child abuse after she allegedly hit a 5-year-old student with a ruler, leaving him with a scar near his eyebrow.
Chrishawn Nicholson, 25, was arrested and charged with child abuse on Thursday following an incident that happened back in November.
During her bond court appearance on Friday morning, her attorney claimed that no probable cause was found and that Nicholson has been cooperating in the investigation, saying the incident was a "hiccup" and that she should still be able to work with children. Nicholson's attorney also asked the judge for non-monetary release because she could not afford bond.
The judge then gave Nicholson a stay-away order from the boy and set her bond at $5,000
The incident
On the morning of Nov. 21, 2024, Miami Gardens Police responded to a child abuse call at the Aspire Preparatory Academy at 21311 NW 34th Ave.
Upon arrival, officers met with the boy's mother, who told them that she received a call two days earlier from her son's teacher Nicholson, telling the mother that her son got a cut near his eyebrow after playing with a pencil, the arrest documents said. The mother immediately went to the school, picked up her son and took him to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, medical staff told the mother that a pencil couldn't have caused her son's injuries and stitched the cut. The mother then said her son told her that he was allegedly hit with a ruler by Nicholson, the arrest documents said.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) then contacted a child protective services team to evaluate the allegations.
During his medical evaluation, the boy repeated the claim, demonstrating the way how he was allegedly hit with a ruler by Nicholson. After further investigation, the mother then showed police a video from when she went to the school to pick up her son, which also showed him saying Nicholson hit him with a ruler, the arrest documents said.
On Thursday, Nicholson was called into the Miami Gardens Police Department, where she was read her Miranda rights but refused to speak, the arrest documents stated. She was then arrested and booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
