A Special Education District of Lake County paraprofessional faces a charge of misdemeanor battery for hitting a 7-year-old student, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation into the Feb. 27 incident concluded that paraprofessional Justin Cole used excessive force on the boy while the two were in an intervention office at Gages Lake School, according to a news release and Sgt. Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
According to the investigation, the boy pushed Cole who responded by picking up a pillow and striking the boy, using the pillow as a barrier between the boy’s head and his hand, according to the release. The boy fell to the ground and began to cry, reports said.
SEDOL administration notified the sheriff’s office of the incident and subsequently fired Cole, according to the release.
Cole, 35, of the 2400 block of 82nd Street in Kenosha, Wis., was charged Friday with a single count of battery, a misdemeanor felony, according to the release. Cole surrendered himself to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and subsequently was released on a $25,000 recognizance bond.
His next court date is set for May 14.