Marion special education teacher found guilty of assaulting 6-year-old with autism

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Marion County special education teacher has been found guilty of assaulting a 6-year-old child with nonverbal autism.

According to the Marion County prosecutor, Jodi Grafmiller faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine at a future sentencing date after a jury convicted her of one count of assault, a fourth-degree felony. The charge stems from an October 2024 incident in which Grafmiller was accused of slapping a 6-year-old girl at Hayes Elementary School in Marion.

The prosecutor’s office reported that Grafmiller struck the girl after the child reportedly spit on her. As Grafmiller, 50, led students outside for recess, the victim, known to spit due to her nonverbal autism, spit on Grafmiller. In response, Grafmiller smacked the girl across the face, prosecuting attorneys said.

A classroom aide witnessed the assault and urged Grafmiller to report it, leading to an investigation by Marion police.

Surveillance video was used during the trial, which included testimony that the child had spit on two other employees at the school who did not respond with physical violence.

Grafmiller was placed on administrative leave after the incident and no longer appears on a staff directory for Marion City Schools.