Teacher accused of slapping, restraining Rancho Cordova student no longer on the job

A Rancho Cordova teacher accused of slapping a nonverbal autistic kindergartner and restraining him is no longer employed with the district, according to a Folsom Cordova Unified School District spokeswoman.

Ebone McNeal, the mother of the 5-year-old boy, has said her child had an “illegal restraint” used on him in September but wasn’t told of the alleged incident immediately as is required by law. Supporters of the child held a news conference outside Williamson Elementary School in September and called for the teacher, Angela McGiffen, to be fired.

It’s unclear when McGiffen’s employment status with the Folsom Cordova Unified School District changed and whether she resigned or was fired. In the wake of the incident, McGiffen was placed on administrative leave.

Angela Griffin, a district spokeswoman, wrote in an email that she couldn’t provide specific personnel information. Payroll records preserved by the website Transparent California say McGiffen worked as a “certificated substitute” for only one year at Folsom Cordova Unified.

McNeal previously told The Sacramento Bee that McGiffen held her child “down on the ground kind of like a bear hug.” She also sought the teacher’s arrested.

It’s unclear if the district is still investigating McGiffen’s actions. Griffin didn’t respond to a question asking about the status of the district’s investigation.

Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, said there is an administrative investigation conducted by the district that’s ongoing. But there isn’t enough evidence currently for deputies to pursue criminal charges, Gandhi said, while adding the agency’s investigation is still considered open.

Deputies provide police services under contract within the city of Rancho Cordova, where Williamson Elementary School is located.

Court records show there have been no cases filed in McGiffen’s name.

The U.S. Department of Education found Folsom Cordova Unified failed to provide a proper public education by infrequently holding Individualized Education Program meetings after a child was restrained, according to The Bee’s previous reporting. The federal watchdog review also found the district was slow to respond when students with disabilities were subjected to hours of isolation or dozens of restraints.

A child held in a prone restraint at Guiding Hands, a now-closed El Dorado Hills school, who later died prompted federal education staff to launch a review of district policy. Folsom Cordova was one of a handful of schools in the Sacramento area that sent special-needs students to the school. Guiding Hands closed following the incident and several of its employees were charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors.

This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 10:08 AM.