Manatee County — A sixth-grade teacher at Lee Middle School has been arrested following a child abuse investigation stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred inside a classroom earlier this month.
According to investigators, 64-year-old Judith Clark was taken into custody on May 19, 2026, after detectives investigated an incident that occurred on May 13 involving multiple students in her classroom.
Deputies said they learned about the incident the following day and began interviewing students and school staff members. During the investigation, detectives determined Clark repeatedly told a student to stop talking during class before allegedly asking other students, “Who wants to slap him?”
Witnesses told investigators that after no students volunteered and the victim began talking again, Clark allegedly repeated the question a second time. When no one responded, detectives say Clark instructed two students to close the classroom window blinds before directing another student to slap the victim.
According to witness statements, the student complied and gently slapped the 12-year-old victim across the face with an open hand.
During interviews with detectives, the student who carried out the slap reportedly told investigators he was afraid of disobeying the teacher’s instructions. Authorities said the student will not face criminal charges.
Once the investigation began, school administrators removed Clark from the classroom and she had no additional contact with students.
Based on witness interviews and what investigators described as consistent statements from those involved, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Clark. She was arrested without incident and booked into the Manatee County Jail on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.