Arrest made after alleged Pre-K abuse at Sedge Garden Elementary, police say
Police say a teaching assistant was arrested after an investigation into incidents involving a Pre-K student at Sedge Garden Elementary in late 2024.
TIE UPS OR ALERTS TO PASS ALONG TO YOU, WE WILL DO SO. BACK TO THAT BREAKING NEWS FROM OVERNIGHT. LONGTIME CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST REVEREND JESSE JACKSON HAS DIED. ERIN BURNETT IS LIVE AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY THIS MORNING WITH MORE ON HIS LIFE AND LEGACY. ERIN. REVEREND JESSE JACKSON WAS A STUDENT HERE AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY FROM 1960 TO 1964, AND HE’S ARGUABLY ONE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S MOST NOTABLE ALUMNI. AS AN AGGIE, HE WAS A QUARTERBACK ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM. HE WAS STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. AMONG BEING AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. AFTER GRADUATING WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SOCIOLOGY, HE WENT TO ENROLL AT THE CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND WORK FOR THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. THAT’S WHERE HE BECAME THE PROTEGE OF REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR. HE THEN WENT ON TO BE THE FIRST MAJOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY. THIS IS A LONG LASTING LEGACY THAT STUDENTS HERE AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY CARRY AND LEARN ABOUT. EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE HAVE RECEIVED WORD FROM A UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE NEWS, AND WE ARE AWAITING A STATEMENT. REPORTING LIVE IN GREENSBORO, ERIN BURNETT, WXII 12 NEWS. ERIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT LIVE REPORT. AND NOW HERE’S OUR LINDSAY CLEIN WITH A LOOK BACK AT JESSE JACKSON’S LIFE AND LEGACY. WE WIN. BORN IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, IN 1941, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST REVEREND JESSE JACKSON PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY. I MAY BE POOR. BUT I AM SOMEBODY. HIS ROLE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE. HE WAS ELECTED AS STUDENT CLASS PRESIDENT FOR HIS GREENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, FINISHED AT NUMBER TEN IN HIS CLASS, AND EARNED LETTERS IN BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, AND BASKETBALL. HE WOULD THEN GO ON TO ATTEND NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY IN GREENSBORO, WHERE HE PLAYED QUARTERBACK AND WAS ELECTED AS STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. HE BECAME ACTIVE IN LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS PROTESTS AGAINST SEGREGATED LIBRARIES, THEATERS, AND RESTAURANTS, AND WENT ON TO WORK FOR DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IN 1965, PUTTING A FULL TIME FOCUS ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. HE EVEN WITNESSED KING’S ASSASSINATION IN 1968. DOCTOR KING AND THE BUILDING EXPLODED IN HIS FACE, AND EVIDENTLY IT CAME FROM THIS DIRECTION BECAUSE HE WAS STANDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE AND THE BULLET KNOCKED HIM OFF OF HIS FEET IN THAT DIRECTION AGAINST THAT LEDGE OVER THERE. HE LAUNCHED OPERATION PUSH AND THE RAINBOW COALITION, PUTTING PRESSURE ON POLITICIANS TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND PROMOTE DIVERSITY. WE CAME TO THESE HALLOWED GROUNDS AS A RAINBOW COALITION TO DEMAND OUR FREEDOM. HE ACHIEVED FAME ACROSS THE NATION AND THE WORLD AS A POLITICIAN AND A SPOKESMAN FOR CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES, AND ANNOUNCED HIS CAMPAIGN FOR U.S. PRESIDENT IN 1983, BECOMING THE SECOND AFRICAN AMERICAN TO RUN FOR THE POSITION. AMERICANS EAT UP ALL SMALL FISH, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR THE FISH MAY BE. JACKSON WOULD CONTINUE HIS FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS THROUGH THE 90S AND 2000, JOINING TRAYVON MARTIN’S PARENTS IN FEBRUARY OF 2012 DEMANDING THE ARREST OF HIS KILLER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, CALLING FOR THE REPEAL OF STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS. THE IDEA OF A MAN SHOOTING AN ARMED WITH A SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPON, AND THE POLICE DOING A DRUG AND ALCOHOL TEST, AND THEY KILLED A CHILD, BUT NOT ON THE GUY WITH THE GUN. WHEN I WALKS THE STREETS FREE. WE’VE SEEN THIS PICTURE BEFORE. HE ALSO WROTE AN OP ED IN THE WAKE OF MICHAEL BROWN SHOOTING IN FERGUSON, MISSOURI. THIS IS A PATTERN. THIS IS NOT JUST MICHAEL AND WAS A LEAD VOICE AFTER THE KILLINGS OF BREONNA TAYLOR AND GEORGE FLOYD. THE VIOLENCE, STOP THE VIOLENCE. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE IN 2017, WHICH LED HIM TO EVENTUALLY RESIGN AS ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT FIGURES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. OUR TIME HAS COME. ALL HIS LIFE, HE MADE IT HIS MISSION TO FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS. HOLD ON TO YOUR DREAMS. USE WHAT YOU GOT. AND I WAS LINDSAY CLEIN REPORTING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS BREAKING STORY. WE WILL HAVE MORE COVERAGE COMING UP IN OUR NEXT HALF HOUR. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW US ON AIR AND ONLINE FOR LIVE UPDATES. AS TRIBUTES BEGIN TO PERMIT TO POUR IN. NEW THIS MORNING, SURRY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE RENEWED THE CONTRACTS OF THE BANNER TOWN AND FRANKLIN FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THIS COMES AFTER THE TWO DEPARTMENTS FOUND OUT VIA LETTER THAT THEIR DOORS WOULD CLOSE BY THIS SUMMER. THE DECISION CAME AT LAST NIGHT’S COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING, WHERE COMMISSIONERS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE CONTRACTS OF ALL 17 VOLUNTEER RESPONSE DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY. FRANKLIN AND BANNER, TOWN DEPARTMENT LEADERS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS DECISION FOR MONTHS, AND LAST NIGHT’S VOTE AMENDED FUNDS TO KEEP THOSE DEPARTMENTS FIRE DISTRICT, FIRE COMMISSION AND NEW FUNDING MATRICES, INCLUDING FRANKLIN AND BANNER TOWN AS PART OF THE 17 WERE GOING TO FUND. WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND SURRY COUNTY, AND WE’RE GOING TO STRIKE A COURSE HERE TO TRY TO GO DOWN A NEW ROAD. EACH FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY WILL NOW BE GIVEN A FLAT ALLOCATION OF $100,000, AND RANDOLPH COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED A MASSIVE BARN FIRE IN SEAGROVE. CREWS FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS WORKED FIVE HOURS TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE BARN WAS DEEMED TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. THE 15,000 SQUARE FOOT BARN WAS UTILIZED TO BOARD, TRAIN AND TEACH HORSES HOW TO GET IN RIDING CONDITION, WITH MANY PEOPLE COMING TO SHOW THEM LOVE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SAY 36 WERE KILLED IN THE FIRE, LEAVING THE COMMUNITY IN SHOCK AND MOURNING. IN THE MORNINGS, PULLING UP AND LOOKING DOWN AT THE BARN. AND YOU SEE SEE THEIR HEADS STICKING OUT OF THE WINDOW. IT’S JUST HEART WRENCHING. AND TO SEE THEIR WHOLE LIFE UP IN UP IN FLAMES. AND NOT ONLY THAT, THEIR BELOVED ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WORK WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHILE THE SMOKE CONTINUES TO CLEAR, RESIDENTS SAY THE SEAGROVE
Arrest made after alleged Pre-K abuse at Sedge Garden Elementary, police say
Police say a teaching assistant was arrested after an investigation into incidents involving a Pre-K student at Sedge Garden Elementary in late 2024.
Updated: 3:54 PM EST Feb 17, 2026
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Winston-Salem police say a teaching assistant at Sedge Garden Elementary School has been arrested in connection with an alleged abuse incident involving a Pre-K student.According to the Winston-Salem Police Department, the incidents happened between October 2024 and November 2024. Police said they conducted an investigation and consulted with the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office before making an arrest.Officials said Teresa Hazlett, 59, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of misdemeanor contributing to the neglect/delinquency of a juvenile.WS/FCS Interim Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps said today, “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students. The teachers, staff and administrators at Sedge Garden are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment in every classroom, every day. We have clear policies and procedures in place, and ongoing training and support for staff, to ensure we meet this standard. The allegations in this case do not reflect the values we share as a district.”According to the school district, Hazlett was suspended in November 2024 and resigned from her position February 2, 2026.She appeared before a judge Tuesday and was given a $5,000 unsecured bond, police said.She is due back in court April 13.This is a developing story; check back for updates.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —
Winston-Salem police say a teaching assistant at Sedge Garden Elementary School has been arrested in connection with an alleged abuse incident involving a Pre-K student.
According to the Winston-Salem Police Department, the incidents happened between October 2024 and November 2024.
Police said they conducted an investigation and consulted with the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office before making an arrest.
Officials said Teresa Hazlett, 59, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of misdemeanor contributing to the neglect/delinquency of a juvenile.
WS/FCS Interim Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps said today, “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students. The teachers, staff and administrators at Sedge Garden are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment in every classroom, every day. We have clear policies and procedures in place, and ongoing training and support for staff, to ensure we meet this standard. The allegations in this case do not reflect the values we share as a district.”
According to the school district, Hazlett was suspended in November 2024 and resigned from her position February 2, 2026.
She appeared before a judge Tuesday and was given a $5,000 unsecured bond, police said.
She is due back in court April 13.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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