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"No Child Deserves To Be Hit", Mother Of 7-Year-Old Allegedly Struck By Parent Talks

A Sumter mother is speaking out, after police say another woman struck her 7-year-old daughter at school.

Sumter, SC (WLTX) -- A Sumter mother is speaking out, after police say another woman struck her 7-year-old daughter at school.

"It was mind-boggling."

When Rhondisa Poteau received a phone call from her daughter's school, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It really didn't register in my mind when she said it to me," she said.

According to Sumter police, another parent allegedly struck the child in the face at Kingsbury Elementary School.

Cheneathia Caesar is charged with three counts of assault and battery and one count of disturbing schools, after police said she walked into the school with her 8-year-old daughter Wednesday morning and saw the 7-year-old girl, who Caesar's daughter said threw pencils at her.

But Poteau said that wasn't what happened.

"Her teacher stated that there was an incident with (my daughter) yelling in class at another student for taking her pencil. Now, as for my daughter hitting her with a pencil, the teacher never notified me about a pencil being thrown. She just said she started yelling because her pencil was taken," she said.

The police report states Caesar started yelling at the 7-year-old when two teachers tried to intervene. Caesar then allegedly pushed the teachers and struck the child in the face.

"I'm glad the teacher intervened when they did, because it could have been worse," said Poteau.

Caesar was taken into custody by an off-duty Sumter police officer. Poteau said her daughter was too scared to go back to school on Thursday.

"When I asked her if she wanted to go back to school, she started crying nad said no because she was scared."

Poteau said her daughter is still recovering, emotionally, but she is still looking for answers as to why this happened.

"I just want justice because she didn't deserve that. No child deserves to be hit, especially by a stranger."

A spokesperson with the Sumter School District released a statement, saying in part: "Our first and most important priority is the safety of our students and staff. We are thankful to the Sumter Police Department for their swift and vigilant response."

Caesar was booked at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, but she has been released.

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