Former teacher at Rockdale County elementary school arrested for cruelty to children

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A former teacher at C.J. Hicks Elementary School in Conyers has been arrested on two separate charges of cruelty to children in the first degree.

The Conyers Police Department launched an investigation into allegations of child abuse at C.J. Hicks Elementary School, following a complaint received from parents on Nov. 8. The parents reported instances of mistreatment by a special education teacher towards their child while under her care.

The concerned family reached out to the police department after learning that 58-year-old Janice Foot of Lithonia, the teacher responsible for their 5-year-old son, had been terminated by the school administration for assaulting the child. Subsequently, an initial report was handed over to detectives to assess Foot's actions and determine the need for potential criminal prosecution.

School records, including audio and video recordings from the special education classroom where the alleged abuse took place, were gathered and scrutinized. The video footage revealed Foot employing physical force to discipline two students in the classroom for prior misbehavior. The specific incident that prompted the investigation was described as an adult forcing the head of a child against a school desk. The investigation concluded that Foot's actions were aimed at preventing the child from watching a film shown to the class, by keeping his head down on the desk. Another 5-year-old student was also identified as a victim of assault by Foot. Both students reportedly displayed visible bruising and scratch marks on the sides and backs of their heads.

Foot was booked into Rockdale County Jail. Detectives are urging anyone with information related to this investigation to contact the Conyers Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 770-929-4203.