Teacher gets probation in student abuse case

MOUNT CLEMENS (AP) - A former suburban Detroit special education teacher accused of physically abusing autistic students has been sentenced to two years of probation. Twenty-nine-year-old Brittany Stevens of Mount Clemens was given her punishment Tuesday after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault. With the sentence, The Macomb Daily reports she's not permitted to teach children and must attend anger management classes. Stevens was charged in 2018 with felony child abuse and fired from her job at Sequoyah Elementary in Macomb County's Macomb Township. A judge, however, had reduced four of the counts to misdemeanor assault. Stevens worked for Macomb Intermediate School District. Authorities had received reports of verbal and physical abuse, and school district employees told investigators they witnessed disciplining of students with slaps and things being thrown at them. Published: Thu, Sep 19, 2019