A substitute teacher with history of community involvement has been arrested after St. Cloud Police say he reportedly grabbed a student by the shirt and threw him into a classroom wall at Neptune Elementary School.
Casmore Shaw, 71, is charged with child abuse – simple assault or battery. According to the arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 29. During the afternoon the student reportedly left his classroom, and another teacher noticed a bruise on the student's neck. After the student told the school nurse that Shaw pushed him and the nurse noticed scratches on his right shoulder, administrators carried out reporting protocol to the boy's mother, the School District and the Department of Children and Families.
The student was again interviewed on May 3, the report said, and he again said Shaw grabbed him by the shirt collar, lifted him from his seat and walked him to the corner of the classroom, all after the student said he knocked a book and a box of crayons of his desk onto the floor.
The report said Shaw was interviewed at the Police department on Monday. Shaw claimed he grabbed the student by the hand. When presented with evidence of the marks on the boys' shoulder and neck, Shaw acknowledged grabbing him but "insisted he was not angry during the incident."
Shaw was subsequently arrested Friday afternoon and transported to the Osceola County Jail to be held on a $5,000 bond.
The School District reports Shaw was immediately removed from the classroom when the incident was reported, and is no longer employed by the district.
"Student safety is, and will always be, one of our department's most important concerns," said St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke. "We have worked diligently with school administration and DCF to ensure a thorough investigation, making sure our students have the secure and nurturing environment they deserve."
Shaw was a candidate for School Board in 2020, losing to Jon Arguello. He is State Committeeman for the Osceola Democratic Party and is listed as secretary of the Osceola County's Democratic Black Caucus.
Steven Wells, chair of the Osceola County Democratic Party, released a statement Monday evening.
"We are aware of a situation with one of our state committee members following an incident today. As of this moment they will be suspended from official duties pending further investigation. We will be conferring on further action," his statement read.
