An Indiana school teacher who forced a special needs student to eat his own vomit has learned her fate. Sara Seymour, 29, pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent on April 21, 2024, just before her trial was about to begin. As part of a deal with prosecutors, a charge of failure to make a report was dropped.
Sentencing and Plea Deal
Judge Rhett Stuard sentenced Seymour to one year in prison, but the judge then suspended 363 days of the sentence. She received two days credit for time served after her initial arrest, meaning she will not serve any additional prison time.
The Incident at Brown Elementary
The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at Brown Elementary School in February 2023. Seymour, along with four other teachers, was supervising the special needs student during lunch on February 16, 2023. A security camera captured footage showing the boy appearing to gag on his food.
Seymour is seen in the footage instructing the boy to sit down while another teacher places a lunch tray in front of him. As the boy begins to vomit, another teacher, Deborah Kanipe, 63, reportedly handed the boy a spoon and compelled him to eat some of his own vomit. Both Seymour and Kanipe stood by the boy as he spooned the vomit into his mouth.
The video shows the boy cleaning up the vomit with paper towels after eating a few spoonfuls. According to the probable cause affidavit filed by the Brownsburg Police Department, Seymour had allegedly warned the boy beforehand that if he vomited, he would be required to eat what he threw up.
No Reports Filed by Teachers
The school did not learn about the disturbing incident until a month later, as none of the teachers involved filed a report, as required. Police said that all five teachers involved eventually resigned or were terminated from their positions, including the two who witnessed the incident and failed to report it.
Both Seymour and Kanipe were terminated from the school soon after officials discovered the video.
Aftermath and Accountability
The case highlights serious issues of neglect and failure to report in the educational system. The disturbing actions of the teachers involved in this incident have sparked outrage and led to questions about teacher accountability and the treatment of special needs students in schools.
