Mother arrested for slapping wrong child at school after mistaking him for her son

The mother of a middle school student in South Carolina who was being suspended is facing charges after deputies say she walked into the school office and slapped the wrong child. Fairforest Middle School Principal Ty Dawkins called deputies to the school on Wednesday morning. Dawkins said that 36-year-old Tyshekka Collier had gone to the school to pick up her son, who was being suspended.

Dawkins said when Collier walked into the office, she saw a boy sitting in the office with his head down, and she mistook him for her son and slapped him in the face. Dawkins said the boy was sick, and was sitting on a couch waiting for his mother to pick him up. Dawkins said once Collier realized she had slapped the wrong boy, she apologized, and then walked over to her son and began to slap him for getting in trouble. The arrest warrant said that Collier hit her son in the head and face, knocking him to the ground.

Collier was arrested and charged with disturbing school and two counts of assault and battery. Spartanburg County sheriff's Lt. Tony Ivey said, "She did apologize to the child she did hit, and we understand that, and that's a good thing there. But in speaking with the parents and all the interviews that were done - the two charges for the assaults and disturbing school, we felt were the most appropriate means to go with."

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"I'd try to control your emotions a little bit when it comes to children and especially in public atmospheres here," he said. "Sometimes it's better to count to 10 or go off and cool off for a little bit, then go back with a level head before you start to discipline your children." Collier's three children have been put in protective custody.

There's an interview with the mother of the accidentally slapped child here.