SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio ISD employee was placed on administrative leave after complaints that he was possibly physically rough with two students.
One of the guardians who filed a complaint, Anna Montes, said her son was assaulted by the employee. Montes said last week on Tuesday, her 8-year-old son told her a group of boys got into a fight at Huppertz Elementary School. He told her as a form of punishment, the boys were made to run laps outside. Montes said her son accidentally, tripped on the employees shoe and the employee got angry at him.
"The staff member told him to watch what he's doing and watch where he was going. He grabbed my son's arm and applied pressure," said Montes. "He did not let go. He proceeded to put more pressure on his arm."
Montes said the principal took photos of her son's arm and used a pen to show the size of the bruises. She said a few days later, the bruises got worse. She got her son checked out at a hospital and filed a report with district police.
"I am pressing assault charges. He did physically assault my child," Montes said. "I don't want this staff member to hurt another child again."
Montes said the same employee roughly grabbed another boy on the same day her son's arm got bruised. Her son told her that the employee grabbed the other boy's arms, crossed them behind his back and carried him to the office.
"This boy was confronted by the grown man about an incident that happened earlier that day. Like I said, he had his arm crossed behind his back like he was being arrested," said Montes.
Eyewitness News talked to the boy's aunt, Aliza Alejandro, who said he is traumatized.
"Ever since that day, he's been having nightmares. He loves to wake up for school but now he doesn't want to go to school," Montes said. "If it was a parent that was man-handled like the way he did? That parent would have gone to jail but it's okay for a teacher?"
The SAISD spokeswoman said the employee, who is an instructional assistant, was placed on administrative leave on Monday. She said the district is investigating both claims and following a strict process. But Montes questions why it took nearly a week to put him on administrative leave. She said if there are other parents whose children had a similar experience to come forward.
"This is not how I discipline my children. I wouldn't want anybody else putting their hands on my child," Montes said. "There's no reason that a staff member should put their hands on a student. There is no good reason at all."
Eyewitness News has not identified the employee who was placed on administrative leave because he has not been charged.
More: Pictures of injuries to boy who was allegedly picked up by his arms and slammed to the ground
