JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 60-year-old teacher's aide at a Duval County elementary school accused of abusing several of her students faces criminal charges and lost her job.

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School Official Calls Allegations 'Shocking'

Graceil Jones was arrested last Friday after investigating reports from school security officers that the teaching assistant at Pinedale Elementary has struck at least three students, at least two of them disabled.

According to a police report, the teacher that Jones was assisting had seen Jones strike an 8-year-old autistic boys on different occasions, once with her hand, once with a ruler, and once with her shoe. She also reported the Jones regularly would bend the boy's fingers back so far that he would fall to the ground screaming.

The teacher said she has seen Jones also bend a 6-year-old autistic student's fingers back, forcing her to the ground. Similar abuse was reported on a 9-year-old boy at the school.

"There appeared to be some very poor decision-making on the part of this employee," Duval County school district spokesman John Williams said. "It's a shocking allegation. These are autistic children, and there's absolutely no excuse to hit them."

Jones turned herself into police and was charged with child abuse. She was later released on $2,503 bond.

After Duval County school officials investigated the charges, the 14-year employee was fired. The district told Channel 4 that they plan additional training for the remaining teachers at the school, not only about appropriate behavior, but also about reporting any abuse they observe to their superiors.