3 arrested for alleged abuse of children with special needs at Delaware Elementary School in Smyrna

SMYRNA, Del. (WPVI) — Authorities in Smyrna, Delaware, have arrested three people in connection with the alleged abuse of nonverbal children with autism at an elementary school.

The investigation began in February 2024 when the Smyrna School District reported possible professional misconduct at Smyrna Elementary School.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

According to Smyrna police, the investigation revealed that staff members working in a special needs elementary school classroom allegedly threw objects at students, yelled at them, and cursed at them.

One suspect, 31-year-old Makayla Lomax of Smyrna, is accused of punching a student in the face and spraying him with a water bottle as a disciplinary measure.

Investigators also believe that two staff members forced a student with special needs to drink hot sauce and eat spicy takis in the fall of 2022. According to police, the student had a known digestive disorder.

According to police, 26-year-old Marrisa Johnson of Smyrna and 21-year-old Morgan Donahue of Clayton were the employees involved in this incident.

Johnson was charged with 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Lomax was charged with nine counts of third-degree child abuse, offensive touching and endangering the welfare of a child.

Donahue was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

Police have not released any further details about this investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Smyrna police.

The Smyrna School District released the following statement regarding the incident:

“In February 2024, the Smyrna School District reported alleged misconduct by staff at Smyrna Elementary School to the Department of Family Services and the Smyrna Police Department. We have worked diligently with our law enforcement partners throughout the investigation. We patiently await the completion of this extraordinary effort. We appreciate the care and thoroughness of law enforcement in resolving this concerning matter.

Appropriate staff have not been in the presence of our students since the alleged misconduct was brought to the district's attention. Most of the people allegedly involved no longer work for the district. With respect to remaining employees, the district will respect employees' privacy rights regarding separation of employment and we will submit our reports to the Division of Licensing and Certification of the Department of Education.

Student safety is of the utmost importance to the Smyrna School District. We will continue to evaluate and improve all aspects of school safety. We will continue to support our school community during this difficult time.”