The Lee County Sheriff's Office arrested a Lehigh Acres teacher Thursday after she was accused of hitting a 4-year-old child.
Lee County deputies arrested assistant teacher Melanie Garcia, 21, on Thursday. She teaches at Grace Community School in Lehigh Acres.
On May 6, while dropping off their sister at the school, someone reported to deputies that they saw a teacher slap a 4-year-old in the face with an open hand, grab the child by the arm, and pull them into a corner while verbally reprimanding them.
People like Cathy Dorgan, who spend their time caring for children in Sunday school, struggle to understand how anyone can harm a child.
"It just hurts my heart to hear that, that is never appropriate. I don't care what the situation is. It's never appropriate," said Dorgan.
Gulf Coast News visited the school to get more information, but they told us they are not having any conversations with the media at this time.
Due to the nature of the allegations, LCSO's Special Victims Unit worked to find the witness and conducted an investigation.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office provided a statement saying in part...
"See something, say something, make the call. That is exactly what happened here when a concerned bystander recognized inappropriate behavior and made the call. We have zero tolerance when it comes to protecting those who cannot protect themselves."
The witness told detectives she did not see any visible marks or injuries on the victim at the time of the incident.
According to the arrest report, the school declined to provide any further information to law enforcement, stating only that the incident had been reported and any further questions would be handled through the school's legal team.
Detectives contacted the school's attorney, who provided documentation related to the school's internal investigation.
The arrest report continued to say that a DCF Child Protective Investigator Supervisor was contacted and advised that the allegations did not meet criteria for an immediate response. Later, DCF said in the arrest report that the school failed to report the incident to law enforcement or DCF.
On May 14, 2026, the victim participated in a forensic interview at the Children's Advocacy Center.
When detectives contacted Garcia, she declined to provide a statement and advised that any matters be addressed by legal counsel on behalf of the school.
"It should be up front, right away, which is never appropriate, and the consequences are going to be extreme and quick because we can't let this look the other way and let this go," said Dorgan.
In the school's policy parent handbook online, it states in part...
"Grace Community Schools strictly forbids its staff and teachers from using corporal punishment in any form. If you believe one of our faculty has broken this rule, tell us and we will investigate it thoroughly. Staff who violate this policy can face dismissal."
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