Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - A former DuPont Manual High School Student faced a judge Wednesday on charges stemming from an alleged assault on a special needs student.
WHAS11 talked to the alleged victim's grandfather, who didn't want to do an on-camera interview at this point, because he didn't want to interfere with the criminal justice process.
But he told WHAS11 that the alleged assault left his granddaughter injured and, for a brief time, in fear for her life.
The alleged incident happened in late September.
According to an arrest warrant, Triara Fawn Guiess, who weighs 320 pounds, grabbed the freshman girl around the neck and choked her.
The student's grandfather tells WHAS11 that the victim is small in stature and has cerebral palsy, which requires her to use a walker to get around.
"We immediately removed her from that position and she has not been back," said JCPS Spokesperson Lauren Roberts.
Roberts said an investigation by the school verified the student's claims.
"Our exceptional students are very fragile and we expect to have the highest quality professionals working with those students," said Roberts. "So anytime something like this happens to one of those children or any child for that matter, we're gonna take it very seriously."
Guisse had been assigned to DuPont Manual as a student teacher from Spaulding University, where she was enrolled in the university's masters in education program.
Guisse graduated from and received her teacher's certification from Eastern Kentucky University.
WHAS11 discovered that Guisse has worked for several years as an interpreter for deaf students, but resigned from that position to student teach.
In early October, Guisse was arrested in Fayette County for driving too slow for conditions.
As part of that arrest, she was also charged with wanton endangerment of a police officer, fleeing and evading police and disorderly conduct.
A Fayette County judge has ordered her to undergo a mental evaluation before being released on bond.
Guisse is currently being held in Metro Corrections under a $5,000 bond.
WHAS11 asked her to do an interview but she refused our request.
