Incident Report: Alleged Child Abuse at The Charter School at Waterstone

Executive Summary

This report details an incident of alleged child abuse at The Charter School at Waterstone in Homestead, Florida, on February 28. A teacher, Sandra Marta Colombo, 61, is accused of throwing a shoe that struck a student. The teacher was subsequently arrested and charged with child abuse. This event represents a significant breach of the professional and ethical standards required within an educational setting and directly contravenes several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at protecting children and ensuring quality education.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The incident and its aftermath are critically relevant to the following SDGs:

• SDG 4: Quality Education: The foundation of quality education is a safe, non-violent, and inclusive learning environment. This incident undermines Target 4.A, which calls for building and upgrading education facilities that are child, disability, and gender-sensitive and provide safe learning environments for all. An act of violence by an educator creates an atmosphere of fear, which is detrimental to student learning and development.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal, particularly Target 16.2, aims to “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” The charge of child abuse directly addresses a failure to meet this target. The subsequent police investigation and judicial process reflect the role of strong institutions in upholding justice and protecting vulnerable populations.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: While the victim reportedly sustained no visible physical injuries, the act of violence has potential psychological repercussions that threaten the child’s well-being. Ensuring the mental and physical health of students is a core component of this goal, and such incidents represent a failure to protect it.

Detailed Account of the Incident

1. On February 28, at The Charter School at Waterstone, located at 855 Waterstone Way, teacher Sandra Marta Colombo allegedly threw an article of footwear, described as a sandal, inside a classroom.
2. According to one student witness, the shoe was intended for a student who was “misbehaving.”
3. Another witness stated the act was intended to “get someone’s attention.”
4. The projectile struck an unintended student on the forehead.
5. The victim confirmed in a forensic interview that the teacher threw the shoe, hit her, and subsequently apologized and rubbed her forehead. The victim reported no lasting marks or bruises.

Legal Proceedings and Current Status

• Ms. Colombo was taken into police custody on Wednesday following the February incident.
• She has been formally charged with child abuse.
• Upon her arrest, Ms. Colombo invoked her right to an attorney.
• Following a court appearance, a judge allowed her to be released on her own recognizance.
• The accused has publicly denied the allegations.
• The Charter School at Waterstone has been contacted for an official statement regarding the incident and the measures being taken to ensure student safety and uphold SDG principles.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues discussed in the article, primarily concerning an act of violence against a child within an educational institution and the subsequent legal response, are directly connected to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal is central to the article as it deals with violence against children, the role of law enforcement (police), and the justice system (court appearance, right to an attorney). The entire narrative revolves around an alleged crime and the institutional response to it.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The incident takes place in a school, which is meant to be a safe space for learning and development. The act of violence compromises the safety of the learning environment, directly relating to a key aspect of what constitutes a “quality education.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the events described, several specific targets under the identified SDGs are relevant:

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
  
  The article’s core subject is a teacher facing a “child abuse charge” for allegedly having “hurled a shoe at a student.” This is a direct example of the type of violence against children that this target aims to eliminate.
• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
  
  The alleged act of throwing a shoe, which hit a student in the face, is a form of physical violence. The incident falls under the broad scope of “all forms of violence” that this target seeks to reduce.
• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
  
  The response to the incident demonstrates this target in action. The article mentions that “Homestead police said the incident happened,” an “arrest report” was filed, officers “took the teacher… into custody,” she “invoked her right to an attorney,” and “appeared in court.” This sequence shows the functioning of the rule of law and the justice system.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
  
  The incident at The Charter School at Waterstone represents a failure to provide a “safe, non-violent… learning environment.” A teacher allegedly committing an act of violence against a student is a direct violation of the safety and security this target is designed to ensure for all learners.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides specific instances that align with official and implied indicators for measuring progress:

Indicators for SDG 16 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 16.2: Reports of physical violence against children by caregivers/authority figures.
  
  The official indicator is 16.2.1 (“Proportion of children aged 1-17 years who experienced any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers”). The article provides a qualitative data point for this indicator: a specific case where a teacher (a caregiver/authority figure in the school context) allegedly committed an act of physical violence (“threw a shoe and hit her on her forehead”) against a student. The police report and witness statements serve as documented evidence of such an event.
• Implied Indicator for Target 16.3: Functioning of the criminal justice system.
  
  The article implies indicators related to the justice process. The narrative of the police investigation, the arrest, the teacher invoking her right to legal counsel, and the court hearing are all data points that could be used to measure the accessibility and functionality of the justice system, which is a key component of this target.

Indicators for SDG 4 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 4.a: Number of reported incidents of violence in schools.
  
  While the official UN indicator (4.a.1) focuses more on physical infrastructure, the spirit of Target 4.a is about ensuring safety. The incident described in the article—a teacher being charged with child abuse for an act committed in a classroom—is a direct measure of a non-safe school environment. Tracking the frequency of such reported incidents would be a clear way to measure progress toward creating non-violent learning environments.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: local10.com