(WMC-TV) – A Mid-South mother wants answers after she claims her son was the victim of excessive punishment.
The teacher now has a misdemeanor citation for contributing to the abuse of a minor, but the mother feels that's not strong enough and says she's fighting for justice for her son.
"My son deserves to have justice done," Lisa McDonald said.
McDonald is livid after she said she found bruises on her 12-year-son Casey's backside. She said the marks are from corporal punishment at Tunica Academy after he was accused of being disrespectful to his teacher.
"Immediately when he showed me where the teacher had paddled him I saw the bruising and the welts, and I started taking pictures and photos and I called the law enforcement," she said.
Abbey Turner was cited for a misdemeanor, accused of contributing to the abuse of a minor. But McDonald is fighting for more answers after she took her son to the doctor.
"Her words were ‘get an attorney, this is child abuse,'" McDonald said.
A spokesperson from the Tunica County Sheriff's Office said investigators looked into McDonald's case, but they felt claims were sufficient for a misdemeanor rather than a felony charge. Turner is still teaching at the private school and McDonald says her son is being teased.
"Nobody at the school will talk to me, nobody. No teachers, no headmaster, no board members; nobody will talk to me," said McDonald
Headmaster Ed Beach issued the following statement:
"Tunica Academy takes great pride in its students, staff, and proven history of preparing students for success in life. The administration has conducted a thorough investigation into the allegation against Mrs. Turner. The administration has determined that there was no misconduct or wrongdoing by her. The school has closed its investigation into this matter. Given the sensitivity of the allegations, the school is unable to make any further comments at this time. "
McDonald said she's working with an attorney to get answers from the school. The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing.
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Lisa McDonald , the student's mother
Abbey Turner, teacher
