As child abuse allegations in Philly schools rise, 'teacher jail' thrives and reputations are at stake

One pupil was bothering another in James Slater’s classroom at James R. Lowell Elementary School in Olney, so Slater grabbed a chair to move the 8-year-old aggressor away. The pupil told authorities he fell and was hurt. Slater denied that, but was cited for child abuse in January 2017, and hasn’t returned to work since.

The allegation against Slater was among 280 last year in which Philadelphia school employees were accused of violating the state’s Child Protective Services Law, which protects children from abuse. From January to October, he sat in the reassignment room at school district headquarters at 440 N. Broad St., a room widely known among school personnel as “teacher jail.”

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_top/child-protective-services-law-amendment-teacher-jail-philadelphia-school-district-abuse-20180721.html