Decatur parents outraged disciplined teacher reassigned to Parsons

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND)- WAND News has received dozens of messages from concerned Decatur parents who have learned a teacher, reassigned last year over accusations she hit a child, has been placed at Parsons Elementary School.

"She should be fired, her license should be snatched- gone. She should not be able to work with children," Tiasha Dady, told the DPS61 School Board last August.

Dady and other parents were outraged last year when a South Shores Elementary School teacher was accused of aggravated battery of a child, after an incident involving Dady's eight year old daughter.

"I was like 'oh my gosh' let me call and see who my son's teacher is," Decatur mom Kandyse Stewart told WAND News.

Stewart said she heard this same teacher, removed from her position at South Shores last year, would not be teaching at Parsons Elementary.

She immediately called the school and learned her son had been placed in this teacher's second grade classroom.

"Everybody else beat me to the punch, and everybody was calling to request to have their child moved. There were so many requests to get their children moved, there was no more space to move anybody else," Stewart explained.

Stewart said she spoke with the Parsons principal, after learning she could not get her child transferred out of the class.

"She did tell me that she was doing everything in her power to make us parents feel comfortable with her being in the class. That they would be placing a TA in the class with her, that she would not be alone with the students at any time," Stewart said.

But Stewart said she couldn't shake the feeling, if something happened last year- it could happen again.

"I can't be comfortable with still sending my child with someone, not knowing if that TA is going to be in the classroom at every minute of the day," Stewart added.

She felt her son might not be safe in this teacher's classroom.

"It's my job as a mother, as a parent, to step up and speak up for my child," Stewart explained.

Stewart's son is now completing online learning at home, but does hope to enroll him in the district again next year.

"He will return back from 3rd grade, but as long as she's here- we'll just have to go to a different school," Stewart said.

While this teacher was served a notice to appear by Decatur Police, a grand jury decline to indict her on the aggravated battery charges.

A DPS61 spokeswoman said the district does not comment on personnel matters, but did confirm this same teacher is employed with the district and was assigned to Parsons Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year.