Florida Teacher Arrested in Special-Needs Child Abuse Case

Florida teacher Kevin Adkisson, 52, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of child abuse without great bodily harm after an October 16 incident at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast, authorities said. A classroom paraprofessional told investigators that during a dispute over a toy, Adkisson allegedly yanked it from two students, swung a 6-year-old student through the air by the arm, and later pinned him against a wall after he crawled under a desk. The child reportedly cried that he was hurt and could not breathe; school staff escorted Adkisson off campus and notified the child’s parents and state authorities. Investigators also heard an allegation that Adkisson struck the boy in the stomach after he skipped ahead in a line, though the paraprofessional did not witness the alleged strikes. Adkisson declined to speak with law enforcement, and the allegations have not been adjudicated.