Kevin Adkisson faces two felony child abuse charges after a classroom employee reported an encounter involving a student with special needs.
PALM COAST, Fla. — A Florida elementary school teacher was arrested on two felony child abuse charges after investigators said he roughly swung a 6-year-old student by the arm and later pinned the child against a classroom wall during an Oct. 16 incident.
Kevin Adkisson, 52, of Bunnell, was arrested Oct. 22 following an investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. He faces two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm. Authorities said the allegations involve a student with special needs at Wadsworth Elementary School, where Adkisson worked as a teacher. He was released from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility after posting a $5,000 bond. The charges are allegations, and they have not been proven in court.
The investigation began after a paraprofessional who witnessed the classroom encounter reported it to school administrators, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Administrators escorted Adkisson off campus and notified the student’s parents and the Florida Department of Children and Families. The Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit then opened an investigation and interviewed the classroom employee, the student and others involved in the case.
Investigators said the incident began during free time when the 6-year-old and another student argued over a toy. A staff member attempted to intervene, but Adkisson allegedly approached and forcefully removed the toy from the children. According to the witness account described by investigators, Adkisson then pushed the 6-year-old as the child tried to return to a table and grabbed the student’s arm in what authorities described as a rough, slinging motion that caused the child’s body to swing through the air.
The student became upset and crawled beneath a desk while crying and yelling, authorities said. Investigators allege that Adkisson later moved the desk, grabbed the student again and restrained him against a wall. The paraprofessional told investigators that the child was crying, saying he was being hurt and telling Adkisson that he could not breathe. Authorities said Adkisson eventually released the student and walked away.
The arrest affidavit also describes another allegation involving the same child earlier that day. According to investigators, the student said Adkisson struck both sides of his stomach with closed hands after the child skipped ahead of classmates in a line. The student alleged that Adkisson then picked him up and moved him to the back of the line. WFTV reported that the paraprofessional remembered seeing the child crying at the back of the line but did not witness the alleged strikes. Investigators said the two charged counts concern the alleged arm-swinging and restraint incidents.
Adkisson declined to speak with detectives during the investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Flagler County Schools said he was placed on administrative leave. Superintendent LaShakia Moore said in a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office that district employees had acted appropriately by reporting their concerns and that the school system was conducting its own investigation while cooperating with law enforcement.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said teachers and other employees working with students, including children with special needs, are expected to maintain a safe environment. He said the allegations against one employee should not reflect on the other faculty and staff at the school and emphasized that authorities would investigate allegations of abuse involving children.
The allegations came amid heightened attention to interactions between school employees and students with disabilities in Flagler County. Local news organizations reported that another educator in the district had recently been arrested in a separate child abuse case. The cases are separate, and authorities have not indicated that they are connected.
Adkisson remained out on bond following his arrest. Law&Crime reported that his next court appearance was scheduled for Nov. 17. No plea or final disposition in the case had been reported as of Nov. 4. The criminal charges and the school district’s administrative review remain separate proceedings.
Author note: Last updated November 4, 2026.