NJ teacher charged with assaulting 11-year-old special needs student

🔴 Special ed teacher faces abuse charges

🔴 Video shows teacher restraining student

🔴 Other families have come forward, attorney says

WEST ORANGE — A special education teacher is facing charges including child endangerment for assaulting an 11-year-old student at school, according to authorities.

Jaron Spicer, 32, of Bayonne was arrested on July 16, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.

The teacher at Mt. Carmel Guild Academy in West Orange is charged with second-degree child endangerment and simple assault for the April 18 incident, authorities said.

According to Stephens, an 11-year-old student's mother went to the police days later and reported that her son was assaulted.

Spicer was taken to Essex County jail and released pending a court appearance.

Family says teacher could have de-escalated

The student, identified by his family as Zaire Smith, said to Pix 11 that the 11-year-old boy got bruises and a rug burn on his face from the assault.

Mt. Carmel Guild Academy serves students with ADD-ADHD, autism, and other behavioral and psychological diagnoses, according to its website.

Smith, who has ADHD and autism, was taken to a separate room after becoming emotional in class, his family said.

Video from cameras inside the school for students with special needs shows the student throwing a chair at another teacher. Smith is then restrained and thrown to the ground by a teacher identified by the family as Spicer, Pix 11 reported.

He was held on the ground for nearly 15 minutes. Smith said to Pix 11 that he struggled to breathe while the teacher was on top of him. The student's family said the teacher should have de-escalated the situation instead of resorting to force.

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Attorney says other families have come forward

Two other families at the school have come forward with abuse accusations, attorney Ben Pinczewski said to Pix 11.

Pinczewski did not say whether the accusations were against the same teacher.

Smith's family has filed a restraining order against Smith, Pix 11 reported.

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