Providence school librarian charged with hitting student

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Providence elementary school librarian has been arrested following allegations that she struck a student last month.

According to police, 59-year-old Susan Rizzo has been charged with simple assault and battery after an incident at Pleasant View Elementary School. On October 17, the student’s mother contacted police alleging that Rizzo had struck her child on the back while he was in the school library, prompting an investigation.

According to the student’s mother, the student had been “acting out” at the time due to “due to not taking his medications.” The report states the child’s parents were notified of the incident only after the school principal learned about it from a bus monitor and waited several hours to contact them.

Rizzo was suspended for two days following the incident and has since been placed on paid administrative leave while the case remains under investigation, according to Alex Torres-Perez, a spokesperson for the Providence Public Schools Department.

The district also confirmed that Rizzo is one of three Providence school employees currently on administrative leave for unrelated incidents involving unprofessional conduct. The other incidents happened at Lillian Feinstein Elementary School and Veazie Street Elementary School.

In early September, a staff member at Lillian Feinstein Elementary School was taken into custody after allegations that she bit and struck a student.

In a letter dated September 10, the school’s principal informed families that an educator had behaved “in a manner that violated our professional standards.”

The employee was later identified as 44-year-old Yaritza Martinez, who served as the school’s behavior interventionist.

Librarian charged with hitting student.