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Norfolk mom says daughter was assaulted by math teacher

Posted at 6:46 PM, Mar 06, 2015
and last updated 2015-03-06 21:47:47-05

Norfolk, Va. - “It`s heartbreaking when you feel like your hands are tied and there`s nothing that you can do to protect your child."

Andrea Jones feels she had no other choice but to press charges against her 12-year-old daughter Samaria’s teacher. She says Samaria was assaulted by her sixth-grade honors math teacher, Michael Clark.

“She said, 'You know he pushed me and he cursed at me, and told me he was sick of my s*** and he pushed me twice,'” Jones says.

It happened last month; Samaria told Jones she was shoved twice by Clark outside of his classroom after she told his class to be quiet.

“He could`ve really hurt my baby,” Jones says.

However, what upsets Jones the most she says, is how the school handled or rather didn't handle the assault.

“They didn`t call me, they didn`t send a note,” she says.

It was only after weeks of numerous calls and letters that Jones says she was told by the school that the incident was being dealt with but was never told how.

Meanwhile, she says her daughter feels unsafe walking the halls.

"She`s nervous, she`s scared, she`s fearful and with good reason," Jones says.

Police have charged Michael Clark with simple assault; however, Norfolk Public Schools has not gotten back to us about the incident.

“What I want is for people to be aware, parents to be aware that this could happen in school and the people that should be held accountable,” she says. “The ball is being dropped.”

NewsChannel 3 reached out to Michael Clark here at the school. We were told he was not in today.