Las Vegas elementary teacher arrested for battering two autistic students, police say

A Las Vegas elementary teacher was arrested after she slapped the hand of a special needs student and caused another to fall and split open his forehead, police said in a report.

Dina Fanella, a 54-year-old teacher at Bell Elementary School, was arrested Sept. 1 by the Clark County School District Police Department.

Fanella faces two felony charges of child abuse and neglect and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm, as well as one battery misdemeanor, online Las Vegas Justice Court records show. The district said she was initially issued a citation in connection with an August investigation at Bell Elementary, but was later arrested after the charges were changed.

Police said Fanella’s teacher aide on Aug. 31 reported witnessing Fanella use force on two non-verbal autistic students. The aide said Fanella caused one boy to fall and hit his head on the corner of a table on Aug. 27 and slapped another boy’s hand on Aug. 28, according to the arrest report.

Fanella and three students were sitting at a table eating snacks when a boy approached her from behind, the aide told police. “Fanella then extended her right arm and pushed (the boy) causing him to fall,” the report said.

The aide said the boy’s head hit a table as he fell, causing him to bleed from his forehead, according to the report.

Bell Elementary’s school nurse told officers the injury was “oozing blood” and about one inch in size. The nurse added that he would need stitches as a result of the injury, the report said.

Fanella told her aide that she would lose her job if the aide said anything about what occurred, according to the report. She has been employed by the school district since March 2006, the district said in an email.

One day after the boy’s fall, the report said, the aide saw Fanella grab and slap the hand of a different boy who was reaching for toys he was not supposed to be playing with.

Fanella told police that the first boy hit his head after he grabbed her arm and she shook him off, causing him to run away and trip. She denied striking the other boy’s hand, saying she often guides his hand without using force, and said she did not recall telling her aide that she could lose her job.

Fanella has been placed on paid leave per the negotiated agreement with her bargaining unit, the district said.

Fanella pleaded not guilty on Sept. 8, and bail conditions require her to have no contact with children besides her own and comply will all Child Protective Services, online court records show. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26.