Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Teacher aide is accused of abuse

A Walton Academy employee is arrested and charged with sexual battery involving a pupil at the charter school.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO and ALEXANDRA ZAYAS
Published June 1, 2006

TAMPA - Something about the 6-year-old's behavior didn't seem normal to her mother. So the woman began asking questions.

According to Tampa police, those questions on May 11 led to an answer that no mother wants to hear.

So she called police.

The girl told police investigators that a teacher's aide at Walton Academy charter school touched her private parts, under her clothes, while at school, according to an arrest affidavit.

Tamika Denise Lane-Gardner, 30, a Walton Academy teacher's aide for 10 months, was arrested Friday, charged with sexual battery against the child.

Larry McKinnon, spokesman for Tampa police, said investigators are working with Walton school leaders and others to explore whether there might be other possible victims.

"Whenever you have a person entrusted with a child, it's a very serious offense," McKinnon said.

Walton leaders declined to comment Wednesday, saying they expected to release a statement today.

According to public records and newspaper announcements, Lane-Gardner is married and has at least two children, ages 9 and 7. She lives at 8013 N 12th St. and has no prior arrests in this state, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Attempts by the Times to reach her husband or other family members were not successful late Wednesday.

Lane-Gardner is being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail.

As one of the state's 300-plus charter schools, Walton Academy is publicly funded but is primarily directed by a private board out of the immediate control of the public School Board.

The school, located in the Hillsborough County Head Start building at 4817 Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, opened in 2004 as the county's first charter school dedicated to music, dance and theater.

It serves children in grades K-5, according to the Hillsborough County School District, and is overseen by Tanika and Sam Walton, owners of Body and Soul Dance Center.

Stephen Hegarty, spokesman for Hillsborough County schools, said that Lane-Gardner's arrest highlights the autonomy enjoyed by the district's charter schools. The spokesman said he did not know any of the details of how the school handled the employee's investigation.

McKinnon urged parents and others who may know or recognize Lane-Gardner to contact police if they have more information that might assist the investigation.

He credited the victim's mother for noticing changes in her child and addressing them promptly, and said this is a critical lesson for all.

"Whenever a child exhibits a personality change or they see there's all of a sudden a distinct change in behavior, parents need to determine what is the cause of this," he said.

Times reseacher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Rebecca Catalanello can be reached at 813 226-3383 or at rcatalanello@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 1, 2006, 04:50:37]