Teacher of the Year Arrested for Felony after Abusing Student

A teacher in Florida was accused of assaulting one of the school’s students two days after she received the Teacher of the Year award.
60-year-old Caroline Melanie Lee is an English teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School in the Jacksonville area. Last week, she was awarded Teacher of the Year by Duval County Public Schools.
It was reported that a minor who attends the school disagreed with the choice to appoint Lee Teacher of the Year, and the girl posted something on Instagram to express her displeasure.
When Lee caught wind of the post, it was reported that she became concerned that the message was meant as a threat to her life.
According to reports, Lee asked the student who wrote the post to speak with her privately in an empty classroom about the situation.
The girl complied with Lee’s request, and a short time after they entered the room the girl allegedly left with her head down and her hand on her face.
The girl went to the office to tell them that Lee struck her, and it was reported that she had a bloody nose.
When the authorities spoke with Lee about the allegations, the teacher said that she did not hit the girl. She explained the situation surrounding the Instagram post.
Lee reportedly told the police that she did feel like a threat was made, but she felt she could address it herself without involving the school staff.
The police reviewed the school surveillance video, and they reported that it showed the girl leaving the classroom while holding her face.
They believed this supported her claim that Lee struck her, and Lee was taken into custody. She was booked and charged with felony child abuse.
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