?It disgusts me?: 3 Autauga County educators arrested in child abuse investigation

AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - Three educators are under arrest and
facing child abuse charges after what Autauga County Sheriff Mark
Harrell calls an “extensive investigation.” 

Harrell confirmed Wednesday the arrests of a former teacher and two
former teacher aides from Billingsley School. 

The teacher, Kendra Spencer, and teacher aides Jennifer Davis and Shayla
Johnson, were charged in connection to alleged incidents involving child
abuse in a self-contained special needs classroom at the school, the
sheriff said. 

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A teacher and two teacher aides are under arrest and charged with child
abuse following an "extensive investigation" at Billingsley School in
Autauga County. (L-R) Kenda Spencer, Jennifer Davis, Shayla
Johnson.(Source: Autauga County Sheriff's Office) 

“It disgusts me,” Harrell said. “It goes beyond anything; these are
special needs kids. Some of these kids are non-verbal, so what they were
doing as far as disciplining children went way beyond any school board
policy or what should be done.” 

Court filings state that the three suspects are each charged with Child
Abuse Torture. 

Spencer is alleged to have hit an 11-year-old student in the face while
teaching him on April 14. 

Davis is alleged to have pushed a 9-year-old student around the room,
then used her knee to get the student to sit in a chair by force on
April 22. 

Johnson is alleged to have hit a 9-year-old multiple times with a folder
on the hands and arms on April 22. 

The sheriff said the Autauga County School Board immediately removed the
teacher and aides from the classroom after allegations were made against
them. 

ACS Supt. Lyman Woodfin issued a statement following confirmation of the
former employees’ arrests. 

“When we became aware of the allegations, we immediately began an
internal investigation. We also contacted the Alabama State Department
of Education (ALSDE), the Department of Human Resources (DHR), and the
Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, and have worked cooperatively with all
three agencies throughout the investigation.  We took swift action
regarding the employment status of the individuals involved. The
employees in question were immediately placed on administrative leave
and removed from campus, and they have since resigned their positions.
We do not tolerate conduct that adversely impacts student safety or the
educational environment. Any such concerns will be addressed in
accordance with district policy and applicable laws.” 

Lyman Woodfin, Superintendent of Autauga County Schools
Two of the defendants turned themselves in. The third was arrested
without incident, the sheriff said. He added that investigators and
school officials were required to look through hundreds of hours of
surveillance video and other evidence before charges could be filed. 

“This investigation required an extraordinary amount of time and
resources due to the extensive video evidence that had to be carefully
reviewed,” the sheriff explained. “Our investigators worked diligently
to ensure every allegation was thoroughly examined and properly
documented with the help of the School Board.” 

The investigation is ongoing and “hundreds of hours of video evidence”
is still being reviewed the sheriff said, noting that more charges are
likely. 

Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the ACSO at
334-361-2500. 

https://www.wsfa.com/2026/05/27/3-autauga-county-educators-arrested-child
-abuse-investigation/