Teacher allegedly degrades students on Facebook

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A Mobile County Public School teacher is accused of making a spectacle of special education students. A mother transferred her child from Eichold-Mertz Elementary School after she said he was made fun of by his second grade teacher.

Teachers should be helpful, uplifting and positive toward their students, but a parent claims a picture is showing the exact opposite.

Celeste Dennis said, "It hurt. It genuinely hurt me."

Dennis was outraged after seeing what her child's teacher, Jeremy Hollinger, posted on Facebook.

She added, "My son wears a helmet for seizures during P.E. He had a picture of himself with my son's helmet on making fun on him like that was some type of a joke."

What upset Dennis even more were derogatory posts about children in her son's special education class. On his Facebook page, which is public, Hollinger makes comments about children going to the bathroom on themselves and eating crayons and complains about how frustrated he is. One post even targets the school system.

Latara Banks, the child’s aunt, said, “It’s not funny. Having a seizure is not funny. Having a disabled child is not funny. That is something that is serious."

Dennis and her family contacted the school system. Nancy Pierce with the Mobile County Public School system said, “Because it's a personnel matter, I can't discuss that with you. The appropriate measures were taken by our Human Resources Department."

We're still trying to find out what action was taken, but what we do know is that Hollinger is still working as a teacher. Dennis removed her son from the school but wants to make sure Hollinger doesn't make any more children the butt of his jokes.

"It takes a special type of person to deal with special children, and he is not that person," She added. "I just want him out of there."

The school system said it has a Facebook policy regarding teachers and students but not one for teachers posting on their own Facebook page.

UPDATE: Tuesday, October 18 - FOX10 News has learned some action has been taken toward Jeremy Hollinger. This is a follow up to an exclusive story we told you about Friday, October 14. The Mobile County Public School System has placed him on paid administrative leave.