A Moundville Elementary School teacher was arrested Friday on charges stemming from an incident with a student last fall.
Court records state that Caleb Adams, a 29-year-old teacher at Moundville Elementary, was charged with harassment related to an incident that occurred on November 21st of last year at the school.
The report says Adams ‘snatched (a 4th grader) around the hallway from one side to the other while aggressively berating him.’
“Until I saw that video, that’s when I really went mama mode,” said Karlie Woodruff, the student’s mother.
“I was in, like, almost breaking tears standing there and looking at these two men. And I’m like, ‘How can y’all look at this video and be okay with this? And why is this man still here?’”
Records show that the school’s principal, Jonathan Posey, initiated an inquiry into the matter and took statements from the people involved. But Woodruff felt the process was too slow and she decided to press charges against Adams.
“I went around talking to about eight lawyers for about a month, just getting consultations, seeing what I could do,” said Woodruff.
Adams’ written statement says the student was arguing with another teacher in the hallway, and this disrupted Adams’ class. Adams says he went into the hallway, grabbed the student by a backpack strap, and told him not to argue with adults.
“(I) informed him that he was talking to adults and asked, ‘Do you argue with mom or dad?’ I reminded him that teachers are adults and that he shouldn’t argue,” Adams’ statement reads.
Adams posted a $500 bail soon after his arrest and was released the same day.
Office staff at Moundville Elementary School told reporters from WVUA 23 News that Principal Posey was in state meetings all day Monday March 2 and was unavailable to answer questions about Adams’ status at the school.
“As a mother, it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating to know that this teacher is still there. My son comes home and tells me, ‘He’s still there and acting like everything’s fine,’” Woodruff said.
Woodruff is hopeful a court hearing will produce accountability for the incident.
“There has to be consequences,” she said.
