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A teacher at Marshall Elementary School in Prince William County was arrested Wednesday for assaulting a 9-year-old student.
The incident happened Nov. 29 at Marshall Elementary School at 12505 Kahns Road, police said. The teacher, identified as Christine Annette Mitchell, 60, of Manassas, has been on administrative leave since, a Prince William County schools spokesperson said.
“The investigation revealed a student, a 9-year-old girl, was grabbed and dragged by a teacher, identified as the accused, from one classroom inside the school to another,” Prince William County police Lt. Jonathan Perok said in a news release.
The assault was reported to the police later that evening. The victim suffered minor injuries, Perok said.
On Dec. 27, police charged Mitchell with assault and battery, Perok said. She was released on a summons to appear in court. No booking photo was available.
In a letter to the Marshall school community on Dec. 28, principal Cindy Klimaitis said she was “shocked and disappointed” by the allegation.
“This is not reflective of our and our hard-working staff who are committed to our students and community,” she wrote.
Mitchell was a first-year teacher and is listed on the school’s website as a “teacher of students with autism.” She joined Prince William County Public Schools in 2020 as a bus driver and started teaching in January 2023, the schools spokesperson said.
