ROME – The two women who are accused of excessively disciplining students at John E. Joy Elementary School in Rome appeared in court on Friday.
Ashley Rasbach, a teacher at the school, and Maria Fountain, a teacher’s aide, both pleaded not guilty in Rome City Court. Rasbach is charged with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree harassment, which Fountain is charged with one count of each.
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Court documents detailed what allegedly happened at the elementary school. Rasbach is accused of grabbing a student by the hair and spraying a student with a water bottle. In a second incident, she is accused of squeezing a student between an open door and the wall, then picking that same student up by her arms and dropping her onto the floor.
Fountain is alleged to have grabbed a student by her arms, slamming them onto a table.
All three students are special needs children under 10 years old.
The two women are due back in court Aug. 3 for pre-trial motions.
