COCOA BEACH, Fla. - A Florida elementary school teacher has been arrested after police say she is accused of hitting a female student with autism in the face.
Cocoa Beach police arrested Candice Williamson Bartell, 53, on Tuesday at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School.According to the arrest affidavit, the incident was caught on video, but Bartell told detectives it was a ‘playful tap’ to show affection when a student was happy.MORE NEWS: Police say suspect confessed to stabbing death of Daytona Beach coupleThe report states that Bartell is seen on video trying to open a door to a classroom with the student close behind her.