A former Cumberland County Public Schools assistant teacher has been arrested on a charge they allegedly assaulted a disabled student.

BRITTANY NICOLE MCKOY

Brittany Nicole McKoy, age 30, was arrested on Jan. 12 by Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies around 8:30 a.m. on the charge she allegedly assaulted a student with a disability.

McKoy was issued a $5,000 bond which she posted a little over an hour later and was released. Her next court date is Feb. 2 in Cumberland County.

The charge is a Class A1 misdemeanor that carries a possible sentence of between 1 to 150 days of active, intermediate, or community punishment as well as a discretionary fine.

“We are deeply concerned about these allegations, which do not reflect the professionalism and integrity of the many good people who work hard on behalf of our students every day,” Cumberland County Schools Associate Superintendent Lindsay Whitley said in a statement to media. “Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of our students and staff.”

The district indicated that McKoy had resigned on Dec. 13, 2022.  McKoy had been suspended with pay on Dec. 12. Her resignation does not meet the state statute requirements of giving a 30-day notice. Since her resignation is tied to a criminal charge, the district is also required to report McKoy to the state board of education per statute.

The alleged assault took place in 2022 while McKoy was still an exceptional children support assistant with Cumberland County Public Schools according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

McKoy was an exceptional children teaching assistant at Pine Forest High School from Sept. 2022  through Dec. 2022.

McKoy also worked as a teacher assistant and bus driver at Howard Hall Elementary from Feb. 2020 to Dec. 2021 and again from Feb. 2022 to May 2022.

Law enforcement asks that anyone with information on the investigation should call the sheriff’s office at 910-677-5477 or CrimeStoppers at 910-483-8477.

McKoy is the second Cumberland County Public Schools employee to be arrested this month.

Thurston Jackie Robinson, age 60, was arrested on Jan. 10 and charged with nine counts of sexual battery and six counts of indecent liberties with a student.

Despite over a dozen felony charges, Robinson was issued a secured bond of only $18,000 and was released on Jan. 12.

Robinson was the high school varsity girls basketball coach at Terry Sanford High School in the Cumberland County Public School District starting in May 2020. He coached that team during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.