'You're a liar... no wonder nobody likes you': Two teachers 'caught abusing girl, 14, after parents hid tape recorder on her'



Two teachers have allegedly been caught calling a 14-year-old girl with special needs 'dumb' and 'lazy' – after she recorded them.

When the student's parents, from Washington Court House, Ohio, feared their daughter was being bullied, they hid a tape recorder in her clothing.



They were stunned to hear teacher Christy Wilt and her aide Kelly Chaffins allegedly poking fun at the teenager’s weight and forcing her to run on a treadmill.

'Rude': Teacher Christy Wilt (left) and her classroom aide Kelly Chaffins (right) were recorded 'bullying' a student. Chaffins was forced to resign but Wilt was not



Chaffins, 46, who had worked at the Miami Trace Middle School since August 2008, was asked to resign by the district after her comments came to light.

But teacher Wilt, 30, still remains at the school, after the officials claimed her involvement ‘did not meet what the educational aide had done’.

The recordings, obtained by WBNS-TV News, were made over four days in April.

'Don't you want to do something about that belly?' Chaffins is claimed to have said to the student.



The girl responds: 'Yes.'

'Well, evidently you don't because you don't do anything at home,' Chaffins says. 'You sit at home and watch TV.'

Cruel: The unidentified teenager claims the two staff members at Miami Trace Middle School forced her to run on a treadmill for getting an answer wrong

On a separate occasion, Chaffins allegedly asks the teenager why she did not know an answer to a question. When the student responds 'because I didn’t know', Chaffins becomes abusive.

She says: 'Are you kidding me? Are you that dumb? You are that dumb? Oh my God. You are such a liar. No wonder you don’t have friends. No wonder nobody likes you.'

THE ALLEGED RECORDINGS

On the tapes, teacher's aide Kelly Chaffins is allegedly heard saying: 'Are you that dumb? Oh my God.' 'No wonder you don't have any friends. No wonder nobody likes you.' 'They [her parents] are liars raising a liar.' 'Do you want to do something about that belly? Evidently you don't because you sit at home and watch TV. Lazy.'



On one further recording, Chaffins allegedly reacts after hearing the parents have complained.

She says: 'They are ridiculous. Well, you know what? They are liars raising a liar.'

Wilt adds: 'They are manipulators.'

The family also claims the audio reveals the girl was made to run on a treadmill for 15 minutes after getting an answer wrong. Chaffins is heard shouting at her while she runs.

The school claimed the use of the treadmill was designed to ‘refocus’ students, rather than punish them.

The girl, now a freshman at Miami Trace High School, told WBNS-TV that the abusive comments made her 'pretty sad'.

When her father heard the 'nasty, rude comments', 'all of it ripped my heart out', he said.

Ignored: Before the recording, Miami Trace Superintendent Dan Roberts allegedly told the family there was 'absolutely no truth' in their complaints

Before the recordings, the parents had complained to Miami Trace authorities.

Superintendent Dan Roberts sent an email in response, saying there was 'absolutely no truth' in the matter, and the complaint was 'bordering on slander and harrassment'.

Confronted by WBNS-TV, Roberts added: 'When we found audio proof we acted immediately.

'We were distressed, very upset and angry by what was on those tapes.'

'Bullied': The pupil, who does not wish to be named, told WBNS that the comments made her 'really sad'. Her father said that 'all of it ripped my heart out'

Instead of resignation, Wilt will undergo a probation period, as well as eight hours of mandatory classes in how to recognize child abuse and stop bullying.

The girl's parents sued, and the school district subsequently paid $300,000 in damages.



The family’s attorney Dan Modarski said: 'We were quite frankly shocked and disgusted with what we heard. What’s shocking to me is that there’s one teacher that is still employed by the district.'



