Mother arrested for slapping child in Jacksonville elementary school

A woman was arrested Tuesday for child abuse after witnesses said she slapped her son in the face at a Jacksonville elementary school.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was called after several teachers said Daisy Gutierrez-Nichols slapped her child at Windy Hill Elementary during a meeting to discuss the child's apparent misbehavior in class.

A teacher who taught the child in an earlier grade said the woman slapped the child because she was upset over his misbehavior in class.

The child, who was standing up during the meeting, fell to the floor after his mother slapped the left side of his face with an open palm, witnesses said.  The mother then left the meeting, leaving behind her contact information.

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Two hours later, an officer interviewed witnesses, including the child, who said his mother never hit him. Witnesses said they did not notice any previous signs of abuse.

The child's face was red and had a hand-print on it, the police report said.

Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson said employees at the school were obligated to notify authorities. He said the boy will likely be returned to his mother.

“Provided this is not something that routinely goes on in the family. It’s unlikely that she would be convicted,” Carson explained.

The boy told police he has never been hit before. The Department of Children and Families has been notified. Gutierrez-Nichols has been released from jail.

The mother has been released from jail. Duval County School Board police was also notified.

Cox Media Group