A special education teacher at Carver Elementary School in Wendell has been arrested and charged with assaulting several young students, all of whom have disabilities.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation after receiving a report from the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). The report alleged that a teacher had assaulted multiple students at the school.
Following the investigation, the sheriff’s office consulted with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. They then decided to press charges.
On Tuesday, deputies arrested 47-year-old Scott Swartzfager. He faces five counts of felony assault on a person with a disability and five counts of assault on a child under 12 years old.
According to court documents obtained by ABC11, Swartzfager is accused of assaulting at least five children. The alleged incidents happened last week and involved students ranging in age from five to ten years old. The victims include a 5-year-old, two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old, and a 10-year-old.
Parents in the community are reacting with concern and outrage.
“It’s upsetting, and it’s scary,” said Margaret Bilodeau, a parent of a Wake County special education student. “A lot of these kids cannot advocate for themselves. That’s why this is so disturbing. You don’t know how long this has been happening or what exactly occurred.”
Following the arrest, Carver Elementary School Principal Wenitra Merritt sent a message to parents.
“We have learned that Special Education teacher Scott Swartzfager has been arrested and charged with abuse of a disabled child and assault on a child under the age of 12,” Merritt wrote. “The charged conduct involves multiple students and occurred on our campus.”
She added, “We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously. Due to privacy laws, I cannot share much more about the situation. I can confirm, however, that Mr. Swartzfager is currently suspended while the district conducts its investigation.”
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred at Carver Elementary.
In February 2024, another special education teacher at the school, 55-year-old Lori Miller Holland, was arrested. Investigators said she struck a child with a disability and dragged the student down a hallway. Holland later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assault on an individual with a disability. She was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 15 hours of community service, probation, and required to complete the SAFEchild program.
Bilodeau said she is not surprised by the repeated incidents. She believes the district does not provide enough support or funding for special education programs. That, she said, makes it difficult to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
“It’s upsetting because these kids are not getting their needs met. And now we’re seeing they may not even be safe,” she said. “Even if you think of school as a safe space or a form of childcare, you can’t assume that anymore.”
The investigation into the most recent case is ongoing.
