Warrant issued for substitute teacher

LAFAYETTE — The Lafayette Police Department has issued a misdemeanor warrant for simple battery against a substitute teacher accused of placing tape over a 9-year-old student’s mouth last month, a police spokesman said Monday.

Cpl. Paul Mouton said the warrant was issued Monday for Curley B. Henry, 52, of Lafayette, stemming from an incident that occurred Sept. 12.

Mouton said Henry is accused of putting painter’s tape over a child’s mouth while in school.

Lafayette Parish School Superintendent Pat Cooper said the incident occurred at J.W. James Elementary.

Henry was terminated immediately after the school system got the findings of an internal investigation into the incident, Cooper said.

The school system was alerted to the allegations a day after the incident, when Henry allegedly put tape over the boy’s mouth after he refused to be quiet in class, Cooper said.

“That’s totally outside our discipline policies and discipline matrix,” Cooper said.

The school system also alerted authorities about the incident, Cooper said.

Mouton said the warrant was issued after Henry failed to come in and cooperate with investigators.