Child abuse investigation at Pikeville Elementary
Six teachers were fired after the incident, two were arrested
UPDATE: We received affidavits from the Bledsoe County Courthouse on the incident.
Detective Drake Brown was notified by Pikeville Elementary School about the incident. He reviewed video footage of what happened inside the classroom.
Detective Brown said the video showed Shelia Schmidt picking up an object and throwing it at a student. He said she also drug a student by the hair of her head for about eight-to-ten feet, and sat her in a chair.
Additionally, Detective Brown said video footage showed Chloe Frizzell picking up an object and throwing it at a student. That object struck the student.
He said Frizzell also shoved a student down onto the ground.
The affidavits state that both Schmidt and Frizzell are being charged with child abuse.
EARLIER: Reporter Nick Hill is in Pikeville working to find out more.
According to the Bledsoe County Sheriff’s Department, two teachers were arrested.
Chloe Frizzell, 25, and Shelia Schmidt, 63, are being charged with child abuse.
They are both currently out on a $7,500 signature bond. Their court date is set for March 6 at 9 a.m.
According to Bledsoe County Schools’ website, Frizzell was a Special Education Assistant. However, Schmidt is not listed on their faculty and staff page.
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Bledsoe County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation at Pikeville Elementary School. Director of Schools Selina Sparkman said six employees have been fired in relation to a child abuse incident.
Sparkman made a statement to social media Monday regarding the situation:
“As you may be aware, an incident occurred on Wednesday, February 15th at Pikeville Elementary School. Principal Lee Ann Morris discovered this situation and immediately reported it to the Department of Children’s Services and the Bledsoe County Sheriff’s Department. After an investigation conducted by the district, the decision was made to terminate six employees. No other information can be shared at this time due to the fact that there is an ongoing legal investigation that is being conducted by the Bledsoe County Sherriff’s Department. This is in no way indicative of the care that is demonstrated for our students on a daily basis. A plan has been prepared to ensure our students are safe and secure when they return to school tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming them back.”
Sparkman said no other information can be shared at this time since the investigation is ongoing.
We are working to find out more about what happened.
We will have more tonight starting at 5:30.
