PLANTATION, Fla. – A school security specialist who worked at a middle school in Broward County was arrested Tuesday on accusations that she struck an intellectually delayed student, who has limited verbal skills, with a belt.
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According to a police report, the incident occurred just after 4 p.m. on April 5, 2024, on a school bus at Plantation Middle School, located at 6600 W. Sunrise Blvd.
Police said the security specialist, Karnisia Coleman, 31, boarded the bus at the request of the bus driver over a 14-year-old boy “not listening.”
According to the report, the teen has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which states that he is “ESE, intellectually delayed and is limited in language speaking.”
Police said Coleman approached the boy, who was seated facing the aisle with his hand holding onto the top end of the seat, and said, “You think I’m playing?”
Police said the video shows Coleman then saying, “Does it look like I’m playing?” while removing her belt from her pants.
According to the report, Coleman then ordered the student to “put it on,” possibly referring to the seat belt and then appeared to strike the boy multiple times with her belt.
“The next time I come up on here, Imma do something to ya,” Coleman said, according to the report. “No more yogurt for you since you want to be mean.”
Police said Coleman began to leave the bus, at which time the bus driver told the teen, “She’s not going to be your friend again.”
According to the report, Coleman responded, “Exactly, you know I’ll beat you. I ain’t got no problems with it.”
Police said the mother of the victim reported the incident to police on April 12 once she became aware of what had happened.
The mother told officers that the incident occurred on a Friday and her son appeared to be more agitated and unsettled over that weekend, but she initially was unaware of what had occurred.
It’s unclear why Coleman wasn’t taken into custody until this week.
She faces one count of child abuse without great bodily harm.
Jail records show that as of Wednesday afternoon, Coleman was being held at the Broward County Main Jail on a $5,000 bond.
It’s unclear whether the bus driver will face charges for failing to report the incident. The bus driver’s identity has not been released.
According to a spokeswoman for the school district, Coleman was reassigned away from the school and students after the incident was reported, “pending the outcome of the BCPS investigation.”
“Based on the evidence in the case, the employee received a five-day suspension for inappropriate conduct. She remained working away from students,” the spokeswoman said in an email to Local 10 News.
According to the spokeswoman, Coleman was hired by the district in February 2020 and since Nov. 4, 2024, she has been working as a “building security person” at “safety & security operations admin sites.”