The Evans Elementary School paraprofessional who resigned following an investigation into his improper restraint of a student on Nov. 10, had been disciplined previously for a similar incident, according to a school board official.
Tony Wright, chief Human Resource officer for the school district, said James Mock was counseled and given retraining to prevent future occurrences following the previous incident.
“He has handled other situations with proper restraint, and we’ve had no problems,” he said.
Mock had been employed with the school district since 2018.
Wright said the most current incident had to be reported to the Professional Standards Commission, which would undertake its own investigation – one that Wright said could lead to Mock’s certification being revoked.
“I don’t think he’ll be working in any of our schools from now on, though,” Wright said.
Wright said the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department will handle the incident moving forward. He could not say whether any further action will be taken.
MORE: Evans Elementary paraprofessional charged after using improper restraints on child
As reported previously, administrators and a school resource officer from the elementary school responded after Mock attempted to de-escalate a student incident, which resulted in Mock being charged with simple battery.
The student was not injured, and no mechanical restraints were used against them.
“He grabbed the student in a way that was not on par with our district’s standards,” said Wright. “He didn’t use an excessive amount of force either – it was just a matter of abiding to our standards.”
According to Wright, the situation occurred when a student became disruptive during a class game and di not following instructions. Mock tried to restrain him to resolve the situation.
“Restraint can encompass a lot of things. It can be just a matter of body blocking or guiding a student away from a situation. It can be grabbing a foot, ankle or elbow if need be,” Wright said. “It’s impossible to run an educational institution, though, without. We try and talk with them first or guide them away from the situation, but sometimes restraint is the only option to avoid further violence.”
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
