CANTON, Ga. — A former preschool teacher has been arrested and charged with several charges, including cruelty to children, after allegedly abusing multiple toddlers at a Cherokee County preschool.
Deputies arrested Mayme Allen, 21, on Monday, Aug. 12, after reports of abuse at Big Blue Marble Academy in Canton, where she was a preschool teacher.
Allen is charged with three counts of cruelty to children and one count of battery. She was released from the Cherokee County Jail Thursday on a $25,000 bond, jail records show.
According to warrants, the charges stem from several incidents that occurred on Aug. 8.
In one instance, Allen allegedly grabbed a child by the arms repeatedly and squeezed them, leaving bruises on the child's arms and back of the shoulder area. In another incident, she reportedly "forcefully" pushed a child's chair into a table, which caused the child's chest to hit the table.
Big Blue Marble Academy released the following statement in response to Allen's arrest:
“The safety of the young children in our care is our number one priority. Therefore, we were deeply saddened to learn of the allegations against our former employee and acted swiftly to inform those affected in the teacher’s classroom, reported the incident to local authorities, and conducted a thorough internal investigation, which resulted in the termination of their employment. We take these allegations very seriously and will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and licensing authorities as the investigation continues."
A spokesperson for the school confirmed Allen was terminated following an internal investigation.