School Staffer Accused of Biting Student After Paint-Throwing Meltdown

A classroom clash at a Providence elementary school spiraled into a shocking accusation: a staff member allegedly bit a child during an outburst over paint.

Authorities say 29-year-old Yaritza Martinez, a behavior interventionalist at Lillian Feinstein Elementary School, is now facing a criminal charge of simple assault or battery. Martinez surrendered to police on September 9, just days after the September 5 incident.

According to police reports, the child told staff he had asked Martinez if he could paint. When she denied the request, the boy allegedly hurled paint across the room. That’s when the situation reportedly took a disturbing turn.

The student later told the school nurse that Martinez bit him during the chaos. He was then interviewed by police alongside his father and showed officers what he described as his injury from the encounter.

The incident report, portions of which were obtained by PEOPLE, is heavily redacted. It’s unclear exactly how the situation escalated between the paint-throwing and the alleged bite.

Police were called to the school shortly after. The principal said they had attempted to keep Martinez on campus, but she left before officers could speak with her.

Martinez later turned herself in and is scheduled for a pretrial conference on November 7.

Behavior interventionalists are typically brought into classrooms to de-escalate situations and manage disruptive behavior. “They’re supposed to be the calm in the storm,” one Rhode Island education advocate told local media. “Hearing about something like this is incredibly troubling.”

Parents at Lillian Feinstein Elementary were left shaken by the allegations. “You send your kids to school thinking they’re safe,” said a mother of two students. “To hear a staff member is accused of biting a child—it’s just unbelievable.”

The Providence School District has not commented publicly on Martinez’s employment status following the charge.