The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Brentwood Unified School District has agreed to pay $950,000 to a Concord family whose 5-year-old special-needs son was hurled to the floor and kicked by his elementary-school teacher, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Holder pleaded no contest to charges of misdemeanor child abuse in 2011 and faces four years of probation. The district settled the lawsuit Friday, said attorneys for the family. According to the suit, Holder had previously used profanity in the classroom, shaken a child, slapped another child and strapped a child’s legs to his chair with masking tape.
Investigators also found that Holder was not properly certified to teach children with autism, many of whom were in her class. The Contra Costa Times also reported that Holder has her credential and could potentially teach elsewhere if hired, said Todd Boley, the victim’s family attorney.
