- A Utah special ed teacher's aide, Melissa Diane Davis, was arrested Thursday.
- Davis allegedly hit an 8-year-old student multiple times in a classroom.
- Millard School District terminated Davis; law enforcement is investigating the incident.
FILLMORE — A teacher's aide in a special education classroom in the Millard School District, who was arrested for allegedly hitting a student, is now accused of abusing that child on multiple occasions.
Melissa Diane Davis, 56, of Fillmore, was booked into the Millard County Jail on Thursday for investigation of one count of abuse of a child with a disability. But by Friday afternoon, she was charged in 4th District Court with three counts of abuse of a child with a disability, a third-degree felony.
Davis was an instructional assistant at Fillmore Elementary School. A district spokesman said Friday that she is no longer employed by the district.
On Tuesday, a Millard County sheriff's deputy was shown a video of Davis "striking an 8-year-old student with an open hand multiple times," according to a police booking affidavit. "In the video, it appears the suspect struck the student on the arm, torso and possibly the head."
The arresting deputy noted in the affidavit that Davis was "assigned to the severe special education department but lost her job due to this incident. The student is a severe special education student. I was advised that the student can say words but would not be able to communicate or hold a conversation, considered a nonverbal student. I was also advised that the student has multiple other disabilities, both physically and psychological, which makes the student need constant supervision."
A witness told investigators that Davis told the student that if he hit her, she would hit him back, the affidavit alleges.
"In the video, you can see the student hit (Davis) on the arm and then (Davis) strikes him multiple times. In the video, you can see the student shift to one side when (Davis) strikes him. Another witness stated that she had seen (Davis) strike the student multiple times prior to this incident," the affidavit says.
According to charges filed on Friday, Davis is accused of abusing the child on Sept. 30, Oct. 16 and Tuesday.
The Millard School District released a statement Friday morning regarding the incident.
"Upon learning of the incident, district administration immediately initiated an investigation. After reviewing the available information and interviewing the parties involved, it was determined that immediate termination of employment was the only appropriate course of action. Due to the nature of the incident, local law enforcement has been notified and is actively involved. As this remains an ongoing investigation, the district will not be providing additional details at this time," the district stated. "The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and the district remains firmly committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students."
Correction: Davis was a teacher's aide. An earlier version incorrectly stated she was a teacher.
