SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Parents of Shelby Township students with autism heard excruciating details Wednesday in court about a teacher who allegedly abused their children.
Teacher Brittany Stevens is accused of kicking, slapping and demeaning the children. She's facing 10 counts of child abuse as the case heads to trial.
"I felt like I have been kicked in the gut," mother April Monteleone said.
Monteleone and other parents from Sequoia Elementary School in Macomb County were driven to tears by the details read in court.
Officials said the children with autism -- most of them nonverbal -- were abused by Stevens in school.
Courtney Marra was Stevens' assistant. She said she documented five months of physical abuse and mental cruelty by Stevens toward the children.
"A kick with the heel," Marra said. "She would say, 'Shut up. Get away from me.'"
Marra said Stevens would mock the children, who are ages 8 to 10.
"She said kiss her butt," Marra said. "He did, and she called him a creep. She thought it was funny."
Another assistant, Jackie Mancini, was in tears while describing the alleged cruelty she saw toward a nonverbal child looking forward to his cookie at lunch.
"She crushed his cookie in front of him and said, 'You're not going to get it,'" Mancini said.
You can watch Shawn Ley's full story in the video posted above.