Teacher's Aide Accused of Taping Students' Mouths Shut

Students allegedly disciplined for ignoring order to not talk

OXON HILL, Md. -- Parents are outraged after an elementary school teacher's aide allegedly taped several students' mouths shut in the cafeteria Wednesday.

Prince George's County police are investigating the allegations at Flintstone Elementary School in Oxon Hill.

"She just said she taped their mouths shut," said Rhonda Dupre.

The teacher's aide told Dupre she had taped Dupre's 6-year-old daughter's mouth shut because she and other students were talking, Dupre said.

A sixth-grade student told WRC-TV she saw at least a half dozen students with tape over their mouths. That student said the teacher's aide taped the students' mouths when they disobeyed an order to stop talking.

"We're going to talk to everybody and get statements, and we're going to package all that up, take the facts to the state's attorney's office," said Prince George's County police Maj. Gary Cunningham. "We're going to review the case with them to determine if this goes above and beyond what a teacher is allowed to do to restrain juveniles and children in the schools."

The teacher's aide was out on leave Thursday and is expected to take leave again Friday.

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