The charges against a substitute teacher in Gainesville have been dismissed in state court.
The case involved Clindon Middleton, who had been accused of simple battery in two incidents at Gainesville Middle School in 2017.
Defense Attorney Andrew Hothem said he felt like this was a fair result for his client.
He said Middleton had gone through a Pioneer-RESA training course on de-escalation techniques prior to the incident. Hothem said attorneys built their defense on a law that grants educators who discipline children immunity depending on intent, and filed a motion with that law in play.
(b) An educator shall be immune from criminal liability for any act or omission concerning, relating to, or resulting from the discipline of any student or the reporting of any student for misconduct, provided that the educator acted in good faith.
Hothem said he felt the state chose to dismiss the charges based on their facts.
