Indiana teacher avoids jail time for student vomiting incident – Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana traffic

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — A North Salem woman has been sentenced to probation after being criminally charged for failing to report a boy at Brown Elementary who was forced to eat vomit in February 2023, according to court documents.

Julie L. Taylor was working as a life skills teacher at Brownsburg Community Schools when the incident happened to the student.

Taylor pleaded guilty on September 4th. As part of her sentence Tuesday in Hendricks Superior Court 2, Taylor was told she could request a dismissal of her case upon completion of her probation.

According to police, Sara Seymour, another life skills teacher, told the child that he needed to eat his vomit and Taylor provided the child with the vomit tray. Life Skills teaching assistant, Debra Kanipe Kanipe, provided the spoon with which the child had to eat the vomit. Life Skills teaching assistant Kristen Mitchell and K1ds Count Therapy registered behavior technician Meghan King were present and witnessed the incident. They were all prosecuted.

King pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation in September.

The Brownsburg School District reported that it terminated two unnamed special education employees after investigating the incident.

The school district learned of the incident on April 12, 2023 and reported the incident to police, resulting in criminal charges.

The incident was captured on video, police said.

Captain Jennifer Barrett of the Brownsburg Police Department said of the child in August 2023: “Due to his cognitive disability, he is unable to recall certain events such as this memory, which is why it was never reported.” He was unable “To remember it, to tell your parents or a trusted adult.”

The charges originally announced by the Hendricks County Prosecutor's Office were as follows:

• Sara Seymour, Brown Elementary life skills teacher, 27, was charged with neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony, and failure to report a Class B felony.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Teaching Assistant Debra Kanipe63, was charged with neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony, and failure to report a Class B felony.
• Julie Taylor, life skills teacher at Brown Elementary SchoolThe 48-year-old was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Kristen Mitchell, elementary life skills teaching assistant at BrownThe 38-year-old was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• K1ds Count Registered Behavior Technician Meghan KingThe 24-year-old was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.