Former Gwinnett Co. teacher accused of inappropriately touching students at elementary school
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson was at Trip Elementary School, where Brandon Hill, 29, taught.
Police said he told one victim it was 'quiet time' during the incidents. Hill has since been arrested and charged, though he is now out on bond.
Officers told Channel 2 Action News that multiple victims told very similar stories about him.
Hill, who lives in Athens, is accused of crimes against at least two students across 20 days in March.
According to an arrest warrant, he sat beside one girl and rubbed her hair, head, back and shoulders six different days.
Police said Hill told her 'to not use her voice and that it was quiet time while he was touching her.'
Tina Brown, a Gwinnett County parent, told Johnson it was hard to hear.
'A teacher touching a child? That hurts me dearly,' Brown said.
Speaking with parents about the allegations, Johnson heard from multiple parents who said they were alarmed.
'If you want to touch on children, you should go to jail, go sit there and understand the meaning,' Brown said.
In another case, police said Hill stroked a girl's hair and rubbed her back and shoulder.
A statement from Gwinnett County Public Schools shared with Channel 2 Action News said, 'The safety and well-being of our students and staff is - and will always be - the district's top priority. As soon as we became aware of the allegations, we acted swiftly and followed all state and district-mandated protocols …The teacher was promptly removed from the classroom and did not return to the school.'
Hill faces a misdemeanor simple battery charge and a first-degree felony child cruelty charge.
Parents told Channel 2 Action News they were worried about the emotional toll for the victims.
Jail records show Hill posted a $6,000 bond and was released while awaiting his court date.
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