New Hampshire school contractor arrested after allegedly assaulting two children

A behavioral technician was arrested Wednesday evening after allegedly shoving two elementary school children to the ground, police said. 

William O’Connell, 24, was working at Applied ABC, a contracted provider for the Manchester School District, at the time of the incidents, Manchester, N.H. police said. Both events happened on the same day but at separate times, the department said in a statement. 

A witness to the first event told police O’Connell threw a 7-year-old boy to the ground, injuring his face, the department said. In the second incident, O’Connell reportedly put a 7-year-old girl “onto the floor in a ‘hard manner,’” police said. The girl not injured. 

In a message to families, Manchester School District Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel Gillis said this was the second incident involving “outside-contracted workers who provide special education services for our students.”

The second employee was a school therapist who was charged in January with assault after a student at Parker Varney Elementary School came home with injuries to his face. 

Applied ABC provides therapy to children diagnosed with autism, according to its website. 

“This is not just a violation of the trust we place in all who work with children in our schools; these incidents violate the strict and clear rules for training and safety assurance as contracted between Applied ABC and the Manchester School District,” said Gillis in the letter addressing both incidents. “We have taken immediate steps city-wide to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. This is our top priority and we have no tolerance for this behavior.”

Both employees were fired upon being notified of the incidents, Gillis said in her letter. The district also added a “new, immediate layer of daily oversight in each school.”

“The district is assessing its options and immediate next steps with regards to the Applied ABC contract currently in place,” the letter said. 

O’Connell turned himself in to Manchester police Wednesday evening after a warrant was issued for his arrest, the department said. He was charged with felony second-degree assault and simple assault. He was released on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned March 7.

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com