Charges dropped in teacher assault case

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - Charges against a Chesapeake teacher accused of assaulting one of her students during a lesson last year were dropped Monday.

According to court documents, Tara Harris was charged with assault and battery of a minor in October 2012. One of Harris' student's parents said her daughter was cut during a lesson about Muslim hand gestures.

Harris, a 26-year veteran of the Chesapeake Public Schools, was a teacher at Butts Road Intermediate School. Her class at that time was full of special education students.

The parent, Stephanie Bennett, said the assault happened Oct. 2.

Harris' husband, Dale Harris, told WAVY.com in October the narrative Bennett used on court documents simply was not true.

"It's a lie," said Dale Harris. "It's just an outright lie."

In the  documents , Bennett said Harris had been teaching a Muslim hand gesture, for 'power and strength' for 'two days straight.' Bennett claimed her 10-year-old daughter could not master the skill, and, as a result, was assaulted by Harris.

Bennett wrote: "Ms. Harris went over to aggressively and grabbed hand out of the desk, when she did, finger got caught on her folder and ripped the skin off of finger. Finger was bleeding pretty bad when Ms. Harris continued to twist finger very aggressively."

Dale says his wife does not practice the Muslim faith and was not teaching it in the classroom. He says the assault charge came as a surprise.

"It's gone from just allegations to assault," he said.

Harris has taught at three schools in Chesapeake over a span of 26 years, according to her husband. Dale Harris believes the school system is targeting his wife because she accused a principal of assault in 2008. 

In October, Chesapeake schools spokesperson Tom Cupitt said Harris was been suspended and her pay was being put into an escrow account.