This from the Connecticut Post:

BRIDGEPORT -- A former Fairfield special education teacher, arrested for allegedly removing the shirt of an autistic 6-year-old girl and forcing the girl to sit partially naked in the classroom, has agreed to take anger-management classes in exchange for the state dropping criminal charges against her.

Elizabeth Valeriay, who resigned as a special education teacher at the Dwight Elementary School in Fairfield after the incident, has arranged to take the classes with a Guilford therapist.

Valeriay, 55, of Madison, was charged with cruelty to persons for the incident last Oct. 6.

Assistant State's Attorney Craig Nowak said he agreed to nolle or drop the charge against Valeriay after the girl's parents didn't object.

"The girl's father said he only called police because he didn't think the town was doing enough," Nowak said. "The girl's father said he didn't want her prosecuted, but wanted to make sure she had some kind of anger-management program," he said. "My main concern was the child and her parents."

Under a nolle, the state can revive its prosecution within 13 months. After that time, if no action is taken the case is dismissed.

The charge was filed against Valeriay over an incident that took place during a one-on-one instructional session with the girl. The girl had become preoccupied by the stripes on her shirt, according to police, but after ignoring Valeriay's instruction to stop, pulled off the girl's shirt in the classroom and forced her to sit topless in the classroom for more than 15 minutes. The window shades were open at the time.

One paraprofessional heard Valeriay tell the girl, "If you keep stimming on your shirt, I'm going to rip it right off of your body," police said. They said a special education trainer recalled hearing the girl scream for her shirt to be returned. When the witness entered the classroom to see what was going on she saw the girl sitting topless and crying while Valeriay stood nearby, police said.

Prior to her resignation, Valeriay signed an agreement with the town promising not to take legal action against the town in exchange for undisclosed monetary benefits.




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