Overview
- Mikaela Beth Priest, 31, was arrested Saturday on a third-degree felony charge of injury to a child and was released on a $50,000 bond.
- The 5-year-old told investigators the teacher grabbed her arm after she tried to retrieve a paper, saying it "hurt really hard" and that the teacher did not let go.
- A school nurse documented deep reddish-purple marks consistent with a hand grab, and another teacher reported the injuries after noticing them at recess.
- Anna ISD removed Priest from the classroom the day the marks were reported and said she was no longer employed two days later.
- Priest denied causing harm and told investigators she used a school-taught redirect technique; records show she holds a TEA intern-level certificate and the case remains active.