SMYRNA — A 40-year-old Smyrna woman has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of  offensive touching after an investigation into interactions with students while teaching at Smyrna High, Smyrna Police said.

According to spokesperson Lt. Brian Donner, police in February were notified via a Division of Family Services report that Kanika Jackson was allegedly verbally and physically abusive toward students in class.
Police immediately notified the Smyrna School District, who placed the employee on administrative leave, Lt. Donner said.

Police said officers then began an investigation in conjunction with the Department of Justice. It revealed that on three separate occasions during this school year, Ms. Jackson allegedly placed her hands on students in a physical manner, causing them offense and alarm.

In one instance, police said, Ms. Jackson grabbed a student’s hair and pulled it. In another, she is alleged to have grabbed a student’s neck and shaken them.

In the final incident, she is alleged to have grabbed a student by the neck and pushed them into a wall.

Police said that Ms. Jackson was taken into custody without incident Wednesday at her residence. She was taken to the Smyrna Police Department and formally charged with the offenses.

Police said Ms. Jackson was presented at Justice of the Peace Court 2 via video court and released on her own recognizance pending a future court hearing.

In a statement released Friday, the district described Ms. Jackson as a former teacher.

“We want to thank the Smyrna Police Department and the Department of Justice for their efforts,” the statement read in part.

Police noted that the case is separate from an ongoing investigation connected to Smyrna Elementary School.