Des Moines suspends teacher accused of assault

A fifth-grade teacher accused of assaulting a special education student has been suspended for the remainder of the school year, a Des Moines district spokeswoman said Thursday.

The Des Moines school board decided to suspend Anita Babe, 49, of Des Moines, said Amanda Lewis, a communications officer for the district, in a statement. The suspension is part of a set of disciplinary actions unanimously approved by the school board on Wednesday night.

The board overturned Superintendent Tom Ahart's recommendation to fire Babe in a 4-0 vote.

"Ms. Babe has always maintained that she did not do what she was accused of doing, so we're pleased that there was no termination," Becky Knutson, Babe's attorney said Thursday.

Knutson said Babe was on leave until the board could provide a written decision detailing the disciplinary actions.

Babe was a fifth-grade teacher at Hubbell Elementary School in Des Moines and has worked for the district since 1991. A Des Moines parent alleged Babe had grabbed her special-needs son by the arms twice in April, causing bruising.

A district judge dismissed criminal charges against Babe in July.

Drew Bracken, the district's attorney, said Wednesday he could neither "confirm nor deny" that the school board's personnel discussions, closed to the public, pertained to Babe's case.

Bracken and board members also declined to describe the disciplinary actions, saying it was a private personnel matter.

The victim's mother reported to police on April 18 that Babe went into her son's special education classroom to discipline him April 10 and again on April 15, according to a police report.

The victim has heart problems and oppositional defiant disorder, the woman told police. She said her son cannot take medication for oppositional defiant disorder because of his heart medication.

Police took photos of the victim's bruising, the report stated.

Carrie Belt, Hubbell's principal, had told police she was not in the building when the incidents reportedly occurred. Belt said Babe dealt with student discipline issues in her absence.

Belt told police Babe denied placing her hands on the victim. Belt told police a staff member said he saw Babe put her hands on the victim and the school's nurse took photos of the victim's bruises, the report stated.

Attempts by The Des Moines Register to reach the victim's mother were unsuccessful.