(PORT HURON) — An early childhood special education teacher in the Port Huron school district has pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges related to two students. 59-year-old Shirley Thoen of Marysville was arraigned and pleaded guilty last week to two counts of assault and battery. She was a 36-year employee of the Thomas Edison Elementary School District in Fort Gratiot Township. Tracie Eschenburg, Executive Director of Employee and Student Services says the district began getting complaints about Thoen in September. She says allegations involved general mistreatment in the classroom. Based on interviews, a search warrant was obtained to conduct surveillance in the classroom. Thoen was put on leave October 30 and she retired from her position after her guilty plea. There was a prior complaint against Thoen investigated by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office in September of 2014. No criminal charges were sought as a result of that investigation.
