VIENNA, Ga. (WALB) - A Dooly County K-8 Academy staff member is off the job after parents allege that their children were spanked at school.

WALB is not reporting the staff member’s name because no charges have been filed.

The parents of the students involved allege that the information they’ve received about this incident is coming from their children and not the Dooly County school district. Parents, Latasha Ross and Travis Fudge say it’s been three weeks since the incident happened, and they want answers.

“[The district] didn’t even think enough to let us know. Our son had to tell us,” Fudge said.

Courtney Canady, the father of a five-year-old, and Latasha Ross and Travis Fudge, the parents of a six-year-old, believe their children were spanked by a staff member at Dooly County K-8 Academy at the same time. Latasha Ross says her son told her it happened after he and another student were taken to another classroom.

“[The child] was like [the staff member] took me in a class and beat me with a ruler,” Ross said.

The parents of the students involved say they were never notified of the incident by the school. Courtney Canady says Latasha Ross had to come to his home to notify him of the incident.

“My reaction was to just get the truth out of [the child]. [The child] told me [the staff member] took him in a closet and whooped him. [The child] said he always gets a whooping by [the staff member] when he gets in trouble,” Canady said.

The Dooly County Sheriff’s Office incident report indicates Ms. Ross was asked if [the child] had any visible marks on him from the ruler and she advised he did not.

The report also indicates that Ms. Ross told police she spoke with the staff member, who denied spanking her child, but reportedly admitted to threatening him.

The school district provided a statement, which reads:

“As the Superintendent of the Dooly County School System, I want to assure you that the safety and security of every student and staff member is our top priority. We are committed to fostering a supportive learning environment for all students.

Today, WALB visited our campus to inquire about a personnel matter that has already been resolved. Due to the sensitive nature of personnel issues, we must maintain confidentiality and cannot discuss specific details publicly. However, we took this matter seriously, conducted a thorough investigation, and the Dooly County Board of Education acted promptly based on the administration’s recommendation. The behavior in question does not reflect the values of the Dooly County School System nor our dedication to serving our students.

We take any action that compromises our students’ safety and the trust of our community very seriously. Please rest assured that this issue has been addressed, as the well-being of our students is our highest priority. Should there be any relevant updates, we will communicate them as needed. In the meantime, we appreciate your continued support for our students and staff, and your trust in our commitment to maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for everyone."

The parents say they still have so many unanswered questions.

“The educators failed us. Trying to talk to the superintendent, never getting any phone calls back and same thing with the principal. [The principal] is trying to get us to send our kids back to the school. Why would we do that knowing our child was assaulted?” Fudge said.

“I think this is just ridiculous and unnecessary. It’s easy to just call the parents and let us discipline them,” Canady said.

“How would you handle it, if it was your child? How would you handle it if you were left with no answers,” Fudge said.

A school official told WALB that the accused staff member resigned. The family of one of the kids filed an incident report with police, which has been referred to the District Attorney.

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