A Claxton Elementary School paraprofessional staffer was terminated for failing to follow established safety and reporting protocols during an incident with a special needs student.
Board of Education meeting minutes from February 9 indicated Amber Rustin was recommended for termination as part of the monthly personal recommendations. Terminations are not common staffing recommendations, which prompted TheGeorgiaVirtue to request the associated documents which led to Rustin’s termination.
Records show that school administrators opened an inquiry into an incident involving a special needs student and a parapro on February 5. Parapros, sometimes referred to as teacher aides, are support staff who work under the supervision of certified teachers to help students succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially.
Incident
According to an email sent at 3:55 p.m. on February 5, a Claxton Elementary Assistant Principal contacted Principal Julie Howard, Superintendent Bradley Anderson, and Assistant Superintendent Kristy Vandenberg regarding the incident after she was notified of the incident herself. The email included a video and a message from the school nurse that had been sent 20 minutes prior.
“I saw [student name] at 12:00 p.m. for a cut to the right side of [student’s] mouth. It did bleed a little. I cleaned it and gave [the student] an ice pack. I was told that [the student] had gotten into the M&M jar in class and that Ms. Amber tried to scoop them out and her fingernail scratched [the student’s] mouth. I felt a need to bring this to your attention. Thank you.”
The body of the email from the assistant principal to administrators and central office staff said “The entire video is inappropriate, but if you need to fast forward to [time stamp], you can.”
The school day had concluded at the time of the email exchange and Principal Howard replied that they would obtain statements the following morning. Anderson also replied to the thread that the incident “has lots of problems on several different levels.”
The following day, a Friday, statements were obtained from Rustin, a teacher who was absent at the time of the incident, a substitute teacher, and another parapro.
Rustin was notified that a recommendation to her employment had been made. Claxton Elementary School Principal Julie Howard said in an email to Rustin at 7:30 a.m. on February 9:
“It has been reported and substantiated that during this incident you restrained a student by positioning the student between your legs. This method of restraint is not consistent with approved protocols and created a safety risk to both you and the student.
Additionally, while attempting to remove M&M’s from the student’s mouth, you used your fingers inside the student’s mouth, resulting in scratches and a bleeding wound. This action was taken after the student had taken the candy because it was believed the student had not earned it. This approach was inappropriate, unsafe, and posed a serious risk of injury to the student.
Equally concerning is the failure to immediately report this incident and the resulting injury to an administrator. Any incident involving student injury, use of physical restraint, or deviation from approved procedures must be reported promptly to ensure student safety and appropriate follow up.
These actions represent a serious lapse in judgment and a failure to adhere to established protocols designed to protect students and staff. Maintaining student safety, using only approved behavior management techniques, and following mandatory reporting requirements are essential responsibilities of your position.
Please understand that after careful review of the details in this investigation, it is my recommendation to terminate your employment and have made that recommendation to Superintendent Anderson.”
At 8:00 a.m., Rustin responded, saying:
Dear Mrs. Howard,
I understand where you are coming from but I would like to respond.
I know what I did was completely inappropriate and unnecessary. I have regretted it every moment since then. I am willing to whatever [sic] it takes to keep my job. I will be more mindful in the future about the actions I take and go through mindset training again if it is deemed necessary.
I really enjoy my job and would like to keep it but I understand the safety and well-being of the students are first priority.
Sincerely,
Amber Rustin
Ultimately, the Board of Education accepted the recommendation for Rustin’s termination during the February 9 meeting and Rustin was notified and instructed to bring her Board-owned items back to the school. According to information provided in an Open Records Request, Rustin was hired by the school system in July 2023. In FY 2025, her salary on OpenGeorgia was listed at $19,623.54.
