KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasShocking Case of Alleged Child Abuse by Las Vegas Teacher
Mamie Hubbard-Washington with her lawyer.A teacher accused of child abuse against her students was in court for her preliminary hearing on Wednesday. The teacher, her assistants, a principal and parents all took the stand testifying that helpless special needs children were abused.
Although the special needs children can't talk, some of them were in court hugging everyone.
The 7 and 8-year-old children were allegedly beaten with a yard stick and grabbed around the arms, leaving bruises. Hubbard-Washington is charged with five felony child abuse counts.
Mamie Hubbard-Washington was a special education teacher at Doris Reed Elementary starting last year. On the stand, parents talked about how their children in her class kept coming home with bruises and scratches, but they initially thought it was the result of playing, not abuse.
One of the parents, who was a physicians assistant, noticed signs of child abuse and brought her daughter to a doctor.
"Joanne had bruises on her arms and there on her arms and bruises on inner arms of both arms they looked like a thumb print and fingers on both of her arms," said Joan Ferguson.
Other parents accuse Washington of yelling at their children and forcing some to eat and forcing others to spit up food.
Hubbard-Washington's defense attorney is arguing that the autistic children were prone to getting bruises and scratches just because they are special needs kids, and Washington was not responsible for the cuts and bruises.
Hubbard-Washington will back in court Oct. 10 when a judge will hear from more witnesses and determine if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
