School employee swung student around by feet and called child ‘ugly,’ affidavit says

MARSHALL, Texas (KLTV/Gray News) - A former educational aide for a school district in Texas is accused of hanging a student upside-down by the feet and swinging the child around.

Rachel Ann Kirspel caused the child to hit their head, according to an affidavit.

The 37-year-old Marshall woman was arrested Monday and charged with injury to a child.

According to an affidavit filed in Harrison County, the incident occurred May 14 at Marshall Early Childhood Center on Meadow Street.

The affidavit said a Marshall Early Childhood Center employee witnessed the incident while putting papers into backpacks outside a room Kirspel was in.

The employee said she heard Kirspel say, “You are ugly as hell,” and “You can tell your mama didn’t raise you right.”

The employee then heard children screaming and looked into the room where she saw Kirspel holding the student upside-down by their feet and swinging them sideways, according to the affidavit.

The witness yelled at Kirspel and asked what she was doing. Kirspel then flipped the child back upright and asked if they were OK, the affidavit states.

The witness told Kirspel to put the child down and leave the room. Kirspel then allegedly tried to pick the child up again and play with them, according to the affidavit.

The child was screaming and crying, the witness described. When asked if it hurt, the child said the top of their head hurt, according to the affidavit, but the child later said they were OK.

The student said in an interview with Head Start Family Services that Kirspel pulled a nap mat out from underneath the child. The child said Kirspel then grabbed them by the collar, picked them up by the feet and started swinging them around while their head was down, the affidavit states.

The child told investigators their arm and head hurt, and that Kirspel cussed at them and called them “ugly.”

The child also told investigators they were going to tell their mother they could not come back to school anymore because it is not safe, according to the affidavit.

Kirspel said in a statement she was in the classroom trying to help get children on their nap mats when one child decided not to cooperate.

According to the affidavit, Kirspel said the child did lay down, but decided to play around, so she grabbed the student off the mat and put them over her shoulder. Kirspel said that did not work, so she hung the child upside-down. The child started crying, and that is when Kirspel said other employees came in the room and told her to leave.

The affidavit states Kirspel said she left and quit.

The Marshall Independent School District said as soon as the incident was reported, it made sure the student was safe and fired Kirspel.

Kirspel was arrested on Monday and booked into the Harrison County Jail.

The district emphasized it followed all protocols and reported the situation to Texas Child Protective Services and the Texas Education Agency.

Marshall Independent School District Superintendent Richele Langley released a statement after Kirspel’s arrest.

“Marshall ISD is aware of misinformation circulating surrounding the recent arrest of an Educational Aide. Upon notice of the incident, Marshall ISD first ensured the student’s well-being and safety.

“The aide was immediately removed without the ability to return, was investigated, and terminated. The MISD Police Department has investigated the incident and has referred it to additional law enforcement.

“Marshall ISD has also followed all protocol in referring this incident to CPS and TEA. We are extremely disappointed by allegations on social media that MISD has done anything other than what is right and legal but we are proud of the swift, student-focused, and decisive response of our staff. Employee actions like those alleged will not be tolerated.

MISD remains committed to providing a safe and caring learning environment for our students,” Langley said.