School custodian is accused of attacking North Miami Beach elementary school student

Gertrude K. Edelman Sabal Palm Elementary custodian is under investigation

Gertrude K. Edelman Sabal Palm Elementary School is in North Miami Beach.

MIAMI – Miami-Dade public schools was investigating an incident Friday involving a school custodian, who allegedly attacked an elementary school student both physically and verbally.

Marie Saint-Lot's son Samuel Jean-Poix is a fifth-grader at Gertrude K. Edelman Sabal Palm Elementary school in North Miami Beach.

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Jean-Poix told his mom that on May 16th a school custodian attacked him in the cafeteria and that several students witnessed it, Saint-Lot's attorney Natasha Mayne said. A verbal disagreement allegedly turned physical.

"The janitor began choking the child in the cafeteria," Mayne said. "Then as the child struggled to pull away the janitor's hand, he told the child  that 'he fights like a fa---.'"

Miami-Dade County public schools spokesman John Schuster said the Gertrude K. Edelman Sabal Palm Elementary school employee was no longer at the school.

"As of May 21, an official investigation has started about this matter through Miami Dade Public Schools," Mayne said.

The school employee was placed in an alternate assignment at a region office pending the outcome of the investigation, Schuster said.

Saint-Lot said the school's principal called her May 16th to tell her that an investigation regarding an incident between her son and a member of the custodial staff would begin May 19th.

Three days after the alleged attack, Saint-Lot was upset that the school principal had not started the investigation. She wants the school employee to be charged with battery.