Former Alabama Teacher of the Year Randi Nicole Jackson Staples has been arrested after a viral video allegedly showed her physically abusing her son.
Staples, 44, of Grand Bay, Alabama, was taken into custody on November 16 and charged with willful child abuse of a child under 18, according to arrest records obtained by PEOPLE. The arrest followed a video that appeared to show Staples hitting her 12-year-old son with a belt, according to Fox 10. She was released from Mobile’s Metro Jail on November 19.
Her oldest son, Jackson Staples, 24, told Fox 10 that he received the video from one of his younger siblings and shared it online. “I didn’t feel like, you know, she should be working at the school or even doing that to my little brothers,” Jackson said. “She done it to me my whole life, so I’m 24… Something about he wasn’t cleaning the kitchen like he was supposed to be, he left, went to the neighbor’s house, came back, and then it transpired into that.”
In the video, a woman believed to be Staples is seen striking the boy with a belt while yelling at him. At one point, he is slammed to the floor by his hair.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch described the alleged actions as “egregious.” “I mean I’m all about disciplining a child if you have problems with them… everybody disciplines their children different ways, but that was way above and beyond any form of discipline,” he said.
Staples previously worked at Cottage Hill Christian Academy in Mobile, where she had been named Teacher of the Year. Head of School Chris Brazell said the institution prioritizes student safety above all else. “We will always act promptly, transparently, and responsibly when matters arise that may impact the safety or integrity of our school community,” he said.
