A Florida teacher has been arrested after surveillance footage captured her repeatedly throwing an 8-year-old boy with autism and ADHD onto the classroom floor an incident the school initially described as a routine de-escalation technique.
Nikol Marie Rodriguez, 29, of Miramar, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with one count of child abuse without inflicting great bodily harm. The incident took place on March 4 at Peace Christian Academy in Hialeah, according to police.
The victim, a nonverbal child with autism and ADHD, is capable of understanding basic instructions but unable to formulate complex requests. His mother describes him as a child who has never displayed violent tendencies. Rodriguez had served as his primary teacher since August 2024 and was responsible for overseeing his physical and psychological well-being.
Classroom surveillance footage reviewed by investigators tells a disturbing story. Shortly before 11 a.m., Rodriguez can be seen grabbing the boy by his left arm, then his right arm and biceps, before roughly turning him. By 12:45 p.m., the footage shows the child sitting peacefully on the floor, displaying no aggressive behavior.
Despite the boy posing no apparent threat, Rodriguez allegedly seized his hands and pinned them behind his back. Another student in the classroom was seen covering his face and ears. The boy, according to police, appeared to be in pain.
What followed was more severe. Rodriguez reportedly threw the boy’s upper body and head down onto the classroom floor and restrained his hands. When he attempted to get up, she allegedly forced him into a table. After the assault, the teacher provided no care to the child and made no effort to seek medical attention, police said.
It was the boy’s mother who later discovered the full extent of his injuries, bruises, scratches, and a puncture wound on his chest, arm, and biceps. The school’s internal report offered a strikingly different interpretation of events. According to that document, Rodriguez’s actions constituted “supportive de-escalation,” carried out to prevent the child from harming himself or others, and were intended to “provide physical support” through restraint.
Police and prosecutors were unconvinced. Rodriguez was booked and later posted a $5,000 bail on Saturday after a request for a reduced bond was denied. She has been prohibited from contacting the child. Her attorney, Christopher Pracitto, declined to comment on the allegations on her behalf.
The case has sparked outrage, raising serious questions about safeguarding protocols at the private Christian school and the treatment of children with special needs in educational settings.
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