Former Mexico teacher accused of abuse loses case against Board of Education
MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)
A former Mexico, Missouri, elementary teacher -- who was fired after being accused of abusing a student and sued to get her job back -- lost her case this week against the Mexico Board of Education.
Katrina Dukes sued the board in September, saying its decision to fire her after allegations of abuse was illegal. The court ruled in favor of the Board of Education on Wednesday.
Dukes was fired after she was accused of abusing a second-grade, special-needs student in April 2022 at Eugene Field Elementary. Dukes was charged with child abuse and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Dukes sued the board of education on Sept. 13, asking a judge to reverse the decision. Her lawyer, David Moen, said in September that the allegations against Dukes were exaggerated.
ABC 17 News reached out to Dukes’ lawyer and the school Friday night for comment.
Dukes’ criminal case was moved from Audrain County to Warren County in February after a change of venue was filed. A case review is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, June 8.
Court documents in October said surveillance footage showed Dukes charge at a second-grade student, who has the mental function of a 5-year-old, and hit the student twice with a bag of dodgeballs. The student was lying on the floor at the time, court documents say.
The video also allegedly shows Dukes force the student into the hallway and "dump" the student on the floor.
The school said there were no adults who saw everything unfold and that it occurred in front of a second-grade class. The school, in court documents, said Dukes could not recall what happened the day after the incident.
The victim showed a student resource officer a bruise on his leg, according to the probable cause statement.
The officer reviewed video footage from the gym that showed Dukes allegedly hitting the student. The school resource officer also spoke to a witness that said Dukes hit the victim “so hard,” according to court documents.
