Not Guilty Verdict for Grand Rapids Teacher Falsely Accused of Slapping a Student

Apr 26

Jury acquitted defendant after 16 witnesses and 20 minutes of deliberation

Grand Rapids 63rd District Court — FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN -

Today, a jury sitting in the 63rd District Court in Kent County, Michigan, acquitted Kathryn Lindell, a former Kent ISD teacher accused of fourth degree child abuse. The jury only took 20 minutes to reach its verdict after hearing from 16 witnesses.
The charges stemmed from an allegation in October 2023 that the teacher slapped a 13-year-old nonverbal child at Lincoln School in the middle of a crowded room during the height of the school day. The prosecutor called eight witnesses, only one of whom testified that he saw this alleged event. The defense also called eight witnesses, some of whom were present in the room when the alleged slap would have occurred, and who did not witness any slap or any form of abusive conduct.

The trial hinged on the testimony of Ms. Lindell’s classroom assistant who said he saw the alleged slap. The evidence revealed that this sole witness, a staff member at Lincoln School, has a long history of significant mental illness, including schizophrenia. Court records about this witness were entered during the trial and included a petition for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization due to his delusional paranoia and responses to external stimuli. Eight witnesses, including the Lincoln School Principal and Assistant Principal, testified that there have been and still are significant concerns regarding this so-called eyewitness’s mental health and fitness for duty in a special needs classroom.

The mother of the child noticed a bruise on her son’s face around 6:45 pm on October 12, 2023, over three hours after he arrived home from school. The staff members who helped the child get ready to go home on the bus that afternoon testified that they did not see any marks on his face. The bus driver and bus aide who transported him home both testified that they also did not see a mark on his face when he got on or off the bus, even after having face-to-face contact with him while strapping him into his safety harness.

There was testimony regarding safety procedures for handling students. Ms. Lindell’s conduct had never before been called into question.

The defense focused on a distinct lack of investigation into any other sources of injury. There was no investigation into potential accidental causes, including metal playground equipment where the student was seen crying, or anything that could have occurred after the student got off the bus. There was a history of this child having accidental bumps, bruises, and scratches at multiple schools over the past several years, long before he entered Ms. Lindell’s classroom for the first time.

The Prosecutor’s Office indicated in court that it was opposed to any questioning regarding why this charge was initially declined and why that decision changed after a phone call from an undisclosed source. The judge ruled that this would be decided as the situation arose with the law enforcement witnesses during trial. The prosecution opted not to call any law enforcement witnesses, despite having subpoenaed them to testify at trial.

The school’s internal investigation came under fire by the defense for jumping to conclusions prematurely. Ms. Lindell was given an ultimatum to resign or be terminated within a week of the incident being reported. The police did not interview several key potential witnesses and instead relied on the school’s report.

The courtroom was filled with Ms. Lindell’s supporters, whose relief was palpable following the jury verdict. Ms. Lindell stated, “I am so relieved that justice was served and the truth has come out. This has been a complete nightmare for me and my family, and I am so glad to be able to put this all behind me and move forward.” Ms. Lindell testified at the trial about her deep love for teaching and her care for her students, including the child at issue in this case. She looks forward to returning to her career with these false allegations put behind her.

“This is a rare case where I never doubted from day one that these allegations were false,” said Tessa Muir, partner at SBBL Law and one of Ms. Lindell’s trial attorneys. “The evidence supported that the charge was completely unsubstantiated, and it renews my faith in jurors to know that they recognized that immediately,”

Jessica Armstrong, Ms. Lindell’s co-counsel at trial, stated, “It was an honor to represent such a truly deserving defendant. It was clear that Ms. Lindell had a lot of support from her fellow teachers and the parents of her students, and we are glad that the jury was able to see the truth.”