Janis Peacock, a fifth-grade teacher at Pine Tree Elementary School, has been charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery, after allegedly shoving at student into a bookcase.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, Peacock is due back in the 52-3 District Court on June 28, and is currently free on a $2,000 personal bond. She lives in Troy.
If found guilty, Peacock could face over 90 days in jail.
The incident under question occurred on June 2, when Peacock allegedly shoved an 11-year-old boy into a bookcase, after he was ‘roughhousing? with some other students.
Following the incident, the student reported a back injury.
Peacock, who is on leave from Lake Orion Schools pending results of the case, as well as an internal investigation by the school district, was accused 10 years ago of choking a fourth-grader on a field trip.
No charges were ever filed in that incident, and no records are available.
Lake Orion Schools Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Ken Gutman said the records were destroyed in a board office fire.
‘I’m conducting an investigation,? he said. ‘The sooner we can determine exactly what happened, the better.
‘This all became news to (the district) in the last couple of weeks,? Gutman said. ?(Janis Peacock) has been with the district for nearly 30 years.?
OCSD Deputy Tom Vida, who handled the police investigation, said all of the information on their end of the case has been turned over to the county prosecutor’s office.
He noted that the investigation focused only on the June 2 incident, and not the incident from 10 years ago.
‘That was something that was handled by the administration in the district,? he said. ‘To my knowledge, the (OCSD’s) office had noting to do with that investigation.?