Atlanta paraprofessional accused of choking student in class

ATLANTA - An Atlanta Public Schools paraprofessional is under investigation after a child claimed the man choked him in class.

The alleged incident happened at Parkside Elementary school in Southeast Atlanta on Jan. 17.

"He had some red marks on his neck which police took pictures of for evidence", the child's mother Daisha Chavers told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes. 

Chavers called police after her 7-year-old son told his parents that his assistant teacher choked him. 

"Him and another student were probably horsing around playing, getting distracted, off-task, and the assistant teacher grabbed my son by the neck and told him that he was pissing him off," she said.

Chavers says another student backed up the 1st grader's account of what happened. Alano's mother met with the school principal and says she was told the paraprofessional would be disciplined. 

The boy's mother said he had red marks on his neck when he came home from school.

She said she wanted the assistant teacher fired. 

In a written statement, APS Spokesman Ian Smith said, "The Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and the District's Office of Employee Relations are investigating an allegation against a paraprofessional at Parkside Elementary school, made by a student and the student's parents. The paraprofessional has been removed from the school pending the outcome of the investigation."