Teacher duct-taped student’s mouth ‘from ear to ear’ and bound his wrists, WV cops say
A West Virginia teacher accused of taping a student’s mouth shut and binding his wrists has been charged with child abuse, state troopers told news outlets.
Cassandra Sisler, 43, was arrested Oct. 13 in connection with the alleged incidents at Central Preston Middle School in Kingwood, WDTV reported, citing authorities.
She was charged with four counts of child abuse and released after posting a $40,000 bond, according to the West Virginia MetroNews.
The alleged abuse occurred earlier this month when the child said Sisler duct-taped his mouth “from ear to ear” during class on Oct. 2, troopers said in a criminal complaint cited by WBOY. He told police his “mouth and lips were sore” after taking off the tape.
The student accused Sisler of taping his mouth shut again Oct. 4, this time wrapping his wrists in duct tape, the station reported, citing the complaint.
Preston County Schools Superintendent Brad Martin said the district is aware of the allegations and is cooperating with authorities as they investigate, he told McClatchy News in a statement.
Sisler’s job status isn’t known, however. .
She was listed as a teacher at West Preston Middle School as of Oct. 16, according to the West Virginia Education Association’s website. However, a search for her name in the Preston County Schools directory returns no results.
Sisler also held a leadership position in WVEA’s Preston County chapter, association President Dale Lee told MetroNews.
“We don’t discuss personnel matters with the press, but the one thing I will say is that we will support our members and provide their guidance as they need it,” Lee told the radio network.
“And we live in a country where you are innocent until proven guilty, so we’ll see how this plays out,” he said.
Kingwood is about 170 miles northeast of Charleston, West Virginia.
This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Teacher duct-taped student’s mouth ‘from ear to ear’ and bound his wrists, WV cops say."