Crime & Safety

Woodstock Teacher Pleads Guilty to Abuse

She was accused of duct-taping a 17-year-old autistic boy to a chair and confining a 17-year-old blind girl under a desk in the spring of 2008.

A special education teacher pleaded guilty this week to false imprisonment for duct-taping a 17-year-old to a chair.

In a plea agreement with the state, Laurie Peavy, 45, of Woodstock was sentenced to six years of probation and a $2,000 fine.

The Woodstock High School teacher and her paraprofessional at the school were arrested on false imprisonment charges in May 2009.

Peavy was accused of duct-taping a 17-year-old autistic boy to a chair and confining a 17-year-old blind girl under a desk in the spring of 2008, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. The incidents happened more than once.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The paraprofessional in the case, who was accused of assisting Peavy, will not be prosecuted in exchange for her testimony.

Peavy must surrender her teaching certificate and not apply to teach anywhere else in the state or the rest of the country. She also may not volunteer at a school or church, and/or tutor any children.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Peavy is currently on leave without pay, but termination proceedings have begun, according to the MDJ story.

A fellow Woodstock High teacher and paraprofessional reported the abuse to the school district.

Peavy, who was hired by the school district in fall 1997, worked at Cherokee High School until 2001, when she moved to Woodstock High.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.