Cassandra Sisler (campaign for Preston County Democratic Committee) and Central Preston Middle School (Facebook screenshot)
A 43-year-old middle school teacher in West Virginia was arrested last week for allegedly physically abusing a juvenile male student on several occasions, using duct tape as well as a “stronger tape” to cover his mouth, bind his hands, and wrap around his head during class time.
Cassandra Sisler was taken into custody on Friday and charged with four counts of child abuse in connection to the alleged conduct inside of her classroom, Weston CBS affiliate WDTV reported.
According to the report, all four incidents involving Sisler using duct tape to restrain the student took place earlier this month in her classroom at Central Preston Middle School in Kingwood, West Virginia, which is about 20 miles from the state’s northern border with Pennsylvania.
A copy of the probable cause affidavit obtained by Clarksburg NBC and ABC affiliate WBOY-TV provided additional details about the alleged assaults that culminated in Sisler’s Oct. 13 arrest.
The report states the male student told troopers with the West Virginia State Police Department’s Preston County Detachment that Sisler first placed the tape over his mouth on Oct. 2 and repeated some form of the punishment every day through Oct. 5.
“[H]is teacher put duct tape over his mouth from ear to ear,” police reportedly wrote in the affidavit, adding that the abuse took place “in the middle of class.”
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The victim also reportedly noted that his lips and mouth were red and sore when he was able to remove the tape.
A similar situation allegedly unfolded on Oct 3, which is when the victim reportedly said that Sisler again “put duct tape over [his] mouth from ear to ear … in the middle of class.” The victim reportedly claimed that Sisler changed her tactics the following day, Oct. 4, when she again taped over the victim’s mouth “from ear to ear,” but also “grabbed his hands and wrapped his wrists in duct tape,” police wrote in the affidavit.
The victim went on to say that on Thursday, Oct. 5, Sisler once again escalated the seriousness of the situation by bringing in “stronger tape,” which she then “wrapped around his head over his mouth and onto his shoulders,” the affidavit reportedly states.
Following her arrest, Sisler was booked into jail in Preston County and held in lieu of $40,000 bond —$10,000 for each of the aforementioned charges. She posted bond and was subsequently released.
Preston County Board of Education Superintendent Brad Martin told WDTV and WBOY that he could not comment on Sisler’s current employment status, but noted that the BOE had already “contacted the appropriate authorities” and were “cooperating and taking all necessary actions while the situation is being investigated.”
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