Trouble at Hibbett Intermediate (Middle) School

Hibbett Intermediate School (formerly Middle School) is located in North Florence and is part of the Florence City School system. Now a special education teacher from Hibbett has been placed on administrative leave.

According to a letter from the superintendent's office, there are accusations of student abuse by Deanna A. Hogland Isbell Hastings. From the 57 year-old Hastings' official bio:

I have lived in the tri-cities all my life. I have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. I started my career as a Child Nutrition worker in 1994. I then went to college to become a Special Education Teacher. I graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Collaborative Education K-6. I’ve truly been blessed to be a part of the Falcon family.

Hastings is reportedly a Leighton native and has resided in Tuscumbia and more recently Muscle Shoals. A friend to Hastings maintained that she has received no previous complaints while working as a teacher.

The school system has further stated the Florence Police Department is a partner in the abuse investigation. No time frame for the inquiry has been released. While we're sure AEA is involved, there has been no public statement from that organization on the allegations concerning the teacher who would appear to have tenure. 

The one feature that stands out? Hastings has completed no other degrees since her original BS slightly over 20 years ago. This is an oddity in the world of special education. Considering this, we have to wonder if any personal conflicts with the administration had any impact on Hastings' current problems.