Montgomery County, Texas- Christa Tatem, a Montgomery ISD Special Education Counselor, was recommended for termination after video surveillance from Madeley Ranch Elementary School in October 2021 revealed her repeatedly hitting and dragging around a 7-year-old African American child with special needs.
On March 21, 2022, community activists gathered at the Montgomery County Independent School District headquarters to witness a video of what looks to be an innocent and vulnerable boy pleading for mercy as Tatem displayed no remorse for abusing him and dragging him about like a rag doll. During the meeting, the family was told that, despite substantial evidence against Tatem for child abuse, she filed an appeal to retain her job contract with Montgomery ISD, and a hearing would take place on Friday, March 25, 2022, according to the district’s counsel. If Tatem wins her appeal, she may be able to work with other children in the future, placing those children at danger of experiencing the same terrible experiences.
“While seeing the horrible film, my skin cringed. I am enraged and disgusted as a parent and counselor. Christa Tatem ought to be locked up!” stated Jenifer Knighton, a community activist. You can see she’s angry and disgusted with the youngster from the time she enters the classroom. As a school employee and “counselor” dealing with children who have identified impairments, you have a duty to de-escalate rather than trigger a crisis. This monster tormented and physically abused the small kid for nearly five minutes, a 7-year-old child for God’s sake. His family placed their faith in Montgomery County Schools to help their kid achieve in life, and this experience will leave him scarred for the rest of his life.
Tatem can be seen attacking the youngster, placing her legs on his back, and keeping him down for more than five minutes on recordings that MISD has not disclosed to the family. While there is no voice in the video, it looks like the youngster is crying for his life, and despite the fact that he appears to be motionless at one point, Tatem continues to attack him. She then stands up, takes off her earrings, and attacks him once again. More than twenty minutes later, the boy’s teacher enters the room, and the child attempts to fight Tatem, but things only get worse for him. Tatem strikes the child again, and this time she pins him up against the wall and forces her elbow into his ribcage while she and the special education teacher “restrain” the seven-year-old, 48-pound child.
The youngster’s parents, Kendrick Davis and Brittney Leveston got a call from his teacher that afternoon alerting them that the child had been detained. Tatem’s name, on the other hand, was never mentioned until the youngster informed his parents that Tatem was crushing him.
The mother went to the school and met with an official, who implied that she didn’t accept the boy’s account of events. According to Kendrick’s parents, they have made repeated efforts in the last four months to get the whole truth about what happened to their kid. They have received nothing but lies, excuses, and cover-ups from school administration, the Montgomery Independent School District, the Montgomery County and Grimes County District Attorney’s Offices, who have all denied charges, and a CPS Investigator who has alleged no evidence of Tatem’s abuse or neglect.