TAMPA, Fla. -- A Hillsborough County, Florida principal and teacher have been arrested on child abuse charges, according to Tampa Police.
Michael Hoskinson, principal of Coleman Middle School, and his wife, Kimberly, a Plant High School assistant teacher, were both arrested on Monday night in Tampa.
Tampa Police said that on November 2, Michael punched the victim twice in the rib cage. Police said that the force of the punch caused the victim to fall and injure the child's wrist. Michael was yelling at the victim while this occurred, according to the arrest affidavit.
Police said that two of the victim's classmates saw the injuries.
Michael's wife, Kimberly, was also present during the incident and pushed the child, according to TPD.
According to the arrest affidavit, Kimberly later sent a text message that read, "Friendly Reminder: If we ever find a text similar to the one you sent to Coach Stephen a few months ago about 'needing to talk', or whoever else, you'll end up with a lot more then a few bruised ribs..."
Officials say that the child involved is not a student in either school the Hoskinson's are employed with and that the child abuse did not happen on a school campus.
Hillsborough County Public Schools responded to the incident saying:
"Mike Hoskinson has been in the district since 1987. He has been principal of Coleman MS since 2006. Kim Hoskinson is an assistant teacher. She worked a partial year in the 2013-2014 school year at Plant HS. Then she has been at Plant HS since July 2016 to present, also as an assistant teacher. We have no previous complaints or investigations in their file on either one."
This is the phone call that was sent out by the Hillsborough County School District to all parents and staff at Coleman MS and Plant HS:
I'm calling from Hillsborough County Public Schools with an important message. We have been made aware that the Principal of Coleman Middle School, Mike Hoskinson, has been arrested and charged with child abuse. According to law enforcement, this does not involve anyone at Coleman Middle School.
We are shocked by this arrest..
The Area Superintendent, Lisa Yost, will be at Coleman Middle School today to provide support to the staff and students. Grief counselors will be available at the school today, for any students or staff members who may need someone to talk to. Our number one priority is the safety and well being of our students and we will ensure they have all of the resources they need to get through this difficult time.
Per Tampa PD:
Note: Florida Law prohibits releasing information that may identify any victim of child abuse.
