A school counselor in Middleborough, Massachusetts, is facing multiple charges after he allegedly struck a 10-year-old student across the face following an argument on Friday afternoon.
Middleborough police said Steven Adamec, 50, of Attleborough, is charged with assault and battery on a child with injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit crime/solicitation of a crime and assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability.
They said they received a call around 3:43 p.m. Friday from READS Collaborative on Bedford Street, stating that an employee had assaulted a student. READS Collaborative provides therapeutic services for students with a wide range of challenges and is not part of the Middleborough Public School District.
Through their initial investigation, police said they learned that Ademec, an adjustment counselor, had struck a 10-year-old student in the face during an argument. The counselor allegedly dragged the student by the arm and pushed him into a door while escorting him out of a classroom and then used his left hand to strike the student across the side of their face.
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The child's mother, Michelle Melander, said she was "heartbroken" that something like this could happen to her son, who has been having a difficult year after his father died last December.
"No special needs teacher should be putting their hands on a child, and after today hearing the actual report, it's just unacceptable," she said.
Melander was sitting in court when the allegations surrounding the assault on her son were revealed.
“It's just heartbreaking that a special needs teacher can assault a child with special needs my son is severely autistic," she said.
Melander said her son had just started attending the school three weeks ago with his brother, who has been a student for years.
Adamec was arrested at the school by police and taken to the Middleborough Police Station for booking. He was arraigned Monday in Wareham District Court. He declined to comment and drove away when approached by an NBC10 Boston crew.
Dina Medeiros, executive director of READS Collaborative, outlined the incident in a letter posted to the school's website on Monday.
"I am very sorry to have to inform you that an incident occurred at READS Academy at the close of the school day on November 17, 2023," the letter said. "I want to assure all of our families that READS Staff responded immediately and appropriately to this incident ensuring all parties were notified.
Medeiros said the staff member involved no longer works for the school as of Friday, and the school is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
