Allen, Texas (June 30, 2009) - Susanne Means, a special education teacher at Lowery Freshman Center, an Allen ISD school, was charged earlier this month with knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a 14-year-old boy with disabilities in early 2008 by using a cooking pan to burn his buttocks. As reported in the Dallas News:
An Allen police affidavit filed on July 9, 2008, says Means caused burns to the boy, and describes him as "mentally challenged."
The affidavit says the boy's father became aware of the boy's injuries in early March 2008 and took him to a physician.
The physician found a 12-inch diameter "scald" in a circular pattern on the buttocks.
The boy later told an interviewer that the teacher applied a hot pan once to each of his buttocks, the affidavit says.
The investigating officer found her classroom included a kitchen that had a stove and "various cookware," the affidavit says.
According to the report, Ms Means, 45, who posted bail after being book into the county detention center on July 30, 2008, had worked for Allen ISD since 1997. She resigned from the district earlier this month. A police spokeswoman said she did not know why it took almost a year for the grand jury to return an indictment.
