A North Brunswick High School math teacher was placed on administrative leave this week following allegations of child abuse.
Victoria Leigh Jeffries, 24, of Leland, has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault on a child under 12 years old and two counts of misdemeanor child abuse, according to arrest warrants.
The warrants were issued through a self-initiated warrant, which under North Carolina law can be a criminal complaint from a private citizen, who must swear under oath before a judge or magistrate. Only misdemeanor charges can be brought about in this manner under state law. According to the arrest warrants, the complaints were filed by two separate women from Elizabeth City.
The warrants allege that sometime between Jan. 26-28, Jeffries assaulted a 5-year-old boy by pinching and beating him with a belt, which left bruises on his left leg. During the same time period, it’s also alleged Jeffries kicked a 7-year-old boy into a wall, which caused bruises to his right thigh and buttocks.
According to Brunswick County Schools Spokeswoman Jessica Swencki, Jeffries was placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 3. She was hired with the school system on Aug. 18, 2015 and has a current monthly salary of $3,500.
“The charges in question are not related in any way to her official capacity as a Brunswick County school teacher,” Swencki said. Jeffries’ arrest did not take place on North Brunswick High School’s campus, Swencki added.
Jail records show Jeffries was booked at the Brunswick County Detention Facility at 10:51 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, and was released nearly an hour later under a $2,000 unsecured bond. According to court records, Jeffries is scheduled to appear in Brunswick County District Court on March 3.
