Florida Teacher Acquitted in Abuse Case - Updated

(Venice, Florida) On Friday, elementary school teacher and accused child abuser Diana O'Neill was acquitted. A six-person jury deliberated for three hours before finding O'Neill not guilty.

The former Venice Elementary School special education teacher sat with her hands folded as the clerk read off each of the counts and the jury's not-guilty decision. After jurors left the room, O'Neill cried and hugged her husband.

"I'm glad that justice was served and the jury was able to see the truth," O'Neill, 46, said through tears as she left the courtroom.

The parents of the students she was accused of abusing sat on the other side of the courtroom Friday holding hands and hugging each other before the jury announced its verdict.

The jury was apparently convinced by O'Neill when she argued her innocence for more than three hours before the verdict was rendered.


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Florida Teacher Accused of Abusing Students
[Previous 2/23/08 post]
(Venice, Florida) A 45-year-old special education teacher at Venice Elementary School, Diana O'Neill, was arrested this week for allegedly abusing four young mentally handicapped students.

School officials and police were alerted to the alleged abuse by two teacher's aides who kept a logbook of alleged abusive incidents over a period of weeks.

Two teachers aides told police they saw her hit the students in the head, kick them, push them to the ground and beat them with objects like school binders, water bottles...even display boards. And worse, they say she would sometimes laugh about it.

O'Neill has been charged with four counts of aggravated child abuse. She was booked into custody at the Sarasota County Jail and released on bond Friday night.

O'Neill has been suspended from her teaching position.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy