A former Ohio teacher was found guilty on multiple charges after filming a special-needs student being duct-taped to a chair while laughing at him. Rachel Smith, 27, was convicted of unlawful restraint and two counts of endangering children in connection with the March incident at West Clermont High School. Her co-worker, Allison Vestring, had duct-taped a 15-year-old boy with Down syndrome and autism to a chair, while Smith recorded the scene and mocked the student, sparking laughter from classmates.
The incident came to light after a child protective services worker at the school reported the behavior to authorities, prompting an investigation. Two videos captured parts of the episode, showing the student restrained for two to five minutes. In one video, Smith is heard taunting the boy, asking him to stand up while he was taped to the chair. When the student, visibly distressed, said, “This isn’t funny,” Smith responded by mocking him, saying, “Yes, it is. It’s funny.” A separate video showed the student calling for help, with Smith dismissively telling him, “He’s not coming to help you. You’re stuck here.”
Smith later testified in court, tearfully claiming that she had intended the interaction to be playful and not harmful. Vestring, who pleaded no contest in April, was sentenced to five years of community service and is barred from working with special-needs students. Smith, however, maintained her innocence, stating that the student had not told her to stop. The student’s parents, deeply upset by the incident, shared how their son had been left emotionally scarred, even becoming frightened at the sight of duct tape. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
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