A 56-year-old Alabama special education teacher, Tracy Walker, has been arrested after one of her students, a four-year-old, allegedly ingested ethanol while on her watch. As per the police, Walker allegedly gave the child the drink that caused her to fall ill.
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According to WKRG, the incident took place at Collins-Rhodes Elementary in Prichard, Alabama, on April 28. Four-year-old Algeria Singleton, as per the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office’s (MCSO) Sgt. Lonnie Parsons, showed no signs of illness during the day. It wasn’t until she failed to wake up immediately after naptime that a teacher’s aide noticed her odd behavior.
“She was staggering; she was slurring her speech,” Parsons said of the child. “It was evident that something was wrong.”
When Algeria’s parents picked her up from school, they immediately realized something was wrong.
“We knew something wasn’t right,” the Singletons said. “Every day when our daughter get out of school, she just couldn’t stay awake.”
The concerned parents immediately took her to her local car provider. MCSO officials revealed that, after Algeria was admitted to USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, her blood alcohol concentration was .286. That amounts to more than 3.5 times the legal limit in the state of Alabama.
Shocking Discovery
During investigations, the MCSO’s Child Protection Unit made a shocking discovery.
“During an interview conducted by MCSO Detectives with the 4-year-old child, the child reported that her teacher had given her a drink that made her feel sick,” the MCSO said in a news release.
On Wednesday, May 21, Tracy Walker was charged with aggravated child abuse. She posted her $25,000 bond two days later, on May 23.
Alegeria’s parents, Albert and Mary Singleton, feel relieved after finding out about the charges filed against their daughter’s teacher.
“It needed to be exposed because our daughter was on the verge of death,” Albert said. “We just hope that we get a positive outcome out of it, that justice is completely served.”
Mobile County Public School System Director of Communications Rena Philips issued a statement following Walker’s arrest.
“We take all allegations seriously. The teacher was placed on administrative leave when this allegation was first made,” Philips said, as per Fox 10. “We have been cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation, and we will continue working with them.”