Woman found guilty of hitting CPS student with belt in school bathroom

A woman was found guilty last week of hitting a 9-year-old Chicago Public Schools student with a belt at his West Garfield Park elementary school.

The family of Jo’maury Champ said Juanita Tyler came to his school in September 2018 and struck him repeated with a belt in a bathroom at Tilton Elementary School, at the behest of the boy’s teacher, Kristen Haynes.

Tyler and Haynes were charged later that month in connection with the incident at the school, at 223 N. Keeler Ave.

Tyler, 58, was found guilty Friday of a misdemeanor count of domestic battery causing bodily harm during a bench trial at the Harrison District Courthouse, court records show.

Haynes, 52, was acquitted of misdemeanor counts of battery and child endangerment, records show.

Cook County Judge Laura Bertucci-Smith sentenced Tyler to a year of conditional discharge and ordered her to take parenting classes, state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said. Tyler will also be required to register as a violent offender against youth.

Al Hofeld, an attorney for the family in their ongoing federal lawsuit against CPS, Tyler and Haynes, said his clients were “disappointed” in the verdict against Haynes but said they plan to “vigorously pursue” the lawsuit now that the criminal case has ended.

Jo’maury, now 11, currently attends a different CPS, Hofeld said.

CPS removed Haynes from the classroom shortly after the incident and moved to fire her in March 2019, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton said Tuesday. Haynes is currently suspended without pay during ongoing termination proceedings.