A Montgomery County elementary school teacher acquitted last year of choking her students as punishment is facing a second trial on child abuse charges.
Susan L. Burke, 36, is scheduled to stand trial Monday in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
During the former first-grade instructor at Greencastle Elementary school’s first trial in October, a jury found her not guilty of 10 counts of second-degree assault.
She was also indicted on two counts of second-degree child abuse stemming from incidents that involved different children but were uncovered during the same investigation, authorities say. Those cases of alleged abuse were not addressed during the October trial.
Burke choked, punched and kicked her students as a means of punishment, prosecutors said.
The incidents for which Burke is facing trial this week happened to two students, one in October 2009 and the other in February and March of 2010, according to the indictment.
A spokesman for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office did not respond to questions about the trial on Friday. An attorney for Burke didn’t return a call for comment.
At the assault trial, several of Burke’s former students testified. The students, who were 6 or 7 years old when they were in Burke’s class, testified that Burke would choke them when she was upset with their behavior. But on the witness stand, the students were able to recall few other details about the incidents, such as how many times the attacks happened or what sparked them.
Burke also testified at trial about her discipline methods. She said she never touched her students inappropriately, but said she would grab their shoulders to break up fights, to redirect them back to their seats or as part of role-playing exercises.
Burke’s attorneys contended that the students’ inconsistent statements were the only evidence against her. After one student made an allegation, “from there, it took off,” defense attorney Todd Mohink told jurors.
Burke could receive up to 30 years in prison if she is convicted of both child abuse counts.
She is no longer working for Montgomery County Public Schools.
