MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee school paraprofessional is facing a felony child abuse charge after prosecutors say she scratched a 12-year-old student during an incident at Trowbridge Elementary School.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, 37-year-old Margaret Galligan-Nordquist is charged with physical abuse of a child causing bodily harm, a Class H felony.
Investigators say the incident happened Sept. 15 during an after-school program at Trowbridge Elementary.
WATCH: Milwaukee mom speaks out after son hurt at school
According to the complaint, the 12-year-old student told police he called a teacher a vulgar name before Galligan-Nordquist grabbed him by the arm. Court records state that when the student pulled away, Galligan-Nordquist grabbed him by the neck, leaving what police described as a visible scratch that broke the skin.
Prosecutors say Galligan-Nordquist later admitted to grabbing the student by the arm.
The student’s mother, Amada, shared photos and video with TMJ4 that she says show the injuries left on her son’s neck following the incident. She told TMJ4 her son has autism and ADHD, and she worries the incident has been especially difficult for him emotionally.
“I started crying. I started throwing up. I started feeling very weak,” Amada told TMJ4 while describing the moment she read the criminal complaint.
Amada said she first learned something had happened when she arrived to pick up her son from the school’s after-school program.
“I was panicking,” Amada said. “I was telling the principal, ‘I think I’m about to have a panic attack. I need to know what’s going on with my son.’”
She said the incident has changed her son’s behavior in the days since.
“Now it’s like I try to hug him; he doesn’t want me to touch him,” Amada said. “You say, ‘Hey, let’s go to the park, let’s go get ice cream.’ ‘No, I don’t want to go outside right now.’”
Amada also raised concerns about how staff members working with children are screened and supervised.
“Imagine a person that you’re trusting to work with your child grabbing your child by the neck,” Amada said.
“My first priority is making sure my son is safe and feels safe at school,” Amada added. “I want accountability for what happened and transparency about how this individual was hired, screened, supervised, and assigned to work with students.”
In a statement sent to families and shared with TMJ4, Milwaukee Public Schools said:
“Yesterday during camp, a student reported that they were allegedly scratched by a staff member. We immediately notified the Milwaukee Police Department, Child Protective Services and the student’s family. We are also conducting a full investigation as we would in any such case. The individual is not currently working in the building.”
An MPS spokesperson declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing investigation and personnel confidentiality.
If convicted, Galligan-Nordquist faces up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
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