A Spring Independent School District (ISD) mother says her 4-year-old daughter was allegedly slapped twice in the face by a male substitute teacher last week inside a pre-K classroom at Smith Elementary School in Texas.
Marissa Braughton described the incident as traumatic and vowed to see the situation fully resolved.
“Messed with the wrong mama, that’s all I gotta say. I will not back down until this is figured out and until this is done,” she told KPRC.
The alleged attack occurred on Jan. 6 when Braughton picked up her daughter, who was visibly upset and crying.
“I get down to her level. I’m like, ‘Baby, what’s wrong? Tell Mama what happened,” Braughton recounted. “And she immediately is like, ‘The teacher hit me.’ I said, ‘The teacher hit you?’ And she said, ‘Yes, the boy teacher, the substitute teacher. I said, ‘The boy teacher?’ And she’s like, ‘Yes, Mama. He hit me twice. And I heard my neck make a sound.’”
Braughton reported the incident to the school’s assistant principal the same day and filed a police report. She expressed frustration with the speed of the investigation, worrying that young students might forget what they witnessed over the weekend.
“Why haven’t we talked to these students yet? We’re about to go into the weekend where these kids might forget what they saw. They’re 4-year-olds,” she said.
Spring ISD officials confirmed the allegation and immediately removed the substitute teacher from the classroom.
“The safety and well-being of students remains our top priority. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share additional details at this time,” a district spokesperson told the outlet.
Chris Tritico, an attorney for the Spring ISD AFT union, explained that federal law restricts what districts can disclose about investigations involving minors.
“That does not mean they’re not doing anything. It just means they can’t tell them that they’ve interviewed these students, who they are, and what they’ve told them,” he said.
Tritico added that state law requires reporting allegations to the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and Child Protective Services within 24 hours, both of which are conducting independent investigations.
Experts in child development said incidents like this can have lasting emotional and psychological effects on children, particularly in early education.
The incident has sparked broader concerns about substitute teacher oversight and classroom safety in Texas.
Advocates argue that while substitutes are screened and trained, gaps in enforcement leave students vulnerable to misconduct. Braughton has decided to homeschool her daughter while the investigation continues.
In a letter sent to parents Friday, the district confirmed that the substitute teacher “made inappropriate use of force on a student” and stated that any future classroom assignments will depend on the outcome of the investigation.
Braughton emphasized the emotional toll on her child.
“She’s 4 years old. No child—especially my baby girl—should have to go through this,” she said.
Parents and school officials are calling for accountability, improved transparency and stricter protocols to prevent abuse by staff in early education settings.
Spring ISD’s investigation remains ongoing, and no timeline has been provided for its completion.
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