Elizabeth Board, a Godley Station K-8 teacher facing felony charges of cruelty to children, will appear before Recorder's Court Judge Tammy Stokes at 3 p.m. Tuesday for an administrative hearing.
Board's attorneys, Savannah-based Cox, Rodman, and Middleton, declined to comment on the court appearance or the case, as did the Chatham County District Attorney’s office.
According to SCCPSS, Board has been a teacher within the district since 2012. She has been at Godley Station since July 2016. In her adaptive special education class Board had six students in grades kindergarten through second grade. The students have been sent to two other special education classrooms.
The district did not provide details of the student or students who were involved in the alleged incident that generated in the complaint; and also stated that the investigation by the district police department is still ongoing.
According to several law office websites, a conviction of the felony charge of cruelty to children in the first degree may result in a prison sentence of five to 20 years.
First degree cruelty to children is defined as “a parent, guardian, or other person supervising the welfare of or having immediate charge or custody of a child under the age of 18 commits the offense when such person willfully deprives the child of necessary sustenance to the extent that the child's health or well-being is jeopardized,” and, “Any person commits the offense of cruelty to children in the first degree when such person maliciously causes a child under the age of 18 cruel or excessive physical or mental pain.”
In order to achieve a conviction in a first-degree cruelty to children case, the state must demonstrate that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, there must be evidence establishing the age of the child; that the child or children suffered physical or mental pain; that the pain was cruel or excessive; that the defendant caused the pain; and that the defendant acted maliciously in committing the crime.
Barbara Augsdorfer is the education and nonprofits reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Reach her at BAugsdorfer@gannett.com or on Twitter @Babs7983.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah-Chatham teacher has Tuesday court appearance for felony charges of cruelty to children
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