South Florida teacher accused of shoving child into wall, knocking out tooth

Palm Beach County, Fla — A first grade teacher in Riviera Beach, is accused of violently shoving a 7-year-old boy into a wall, causing him to lose a front tooth and injure his lip.

Cynthia Smith, 64, a teacher at Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, was arrested Friday on a charge of child abuse.

WPTV in West Palm beach reports, Surveillance video shows the student walking in the hallway Jan. 28 and moving his hands on a bulletin board before Cynthia Smith, 64, pushes his head face-first into the wall. Smith then walks away from the student.

Investigators wrote that “Principal Katrina Granger said “she perceives (Smith) as very aggressive towards the children, and she has received numerous complaints from parents on her behavior,” WPTV reported.

The 7-year-old told school police that he was messing with the board when Smith pushed his face into the wall, causing his tooth to fall out.

Smith told investigators students were trying to remove things from the wall but that she never put her hands on anyone.

Smith was arrested and charged with child abuse.